ENGLISH-MAJORED STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES ON USING COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES: A CASE STUDY AT THE SCHOOL OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES, CAN THO UNIVERSITY

Abstract

Communication Strategies (CSs) play a valuable role in supporting learners to maintain conversations, enhance interaction, and build a supportive learning environment. However, understanding the perspectives of these students on which strategies are the most effective way to improve teaching methods and learning outcomes. The research aims to explore the perspectives of English-majored students at Can Tho University on using communication strategies in class and provide insights into improving classroom interaction by identifying the most beneficial communication strategies for students during the language acquisition. In addition, the study finds out the factors that influence students in using CSs in class, contributing to the improvement of fostering confidence, engagement, and clear communication among students. The study was conducted with participation from 230 English-majored students (High-quality program) of the School of Foreign Languages at Can Tho University, all data were collected by completing an online survey and in-depth interviews were also conducted to explore the experience and the perspective from participants about their employment of CSs. The findings indicated that three communication strategies were commonly used by English-majored students at the School of Foreign Languages at Can Tho University the Nonverbal, Social Affective, and Negotiation for Meaning strategies which were considered as methods to help students maintain the flow of conversation, build their confidence as well as reinforce their speaking proficiency. Additionally, two factors including the frequency of speaking English and language proficiency were impact on students' CSs usage due to its optimistic aspects for fostering students' English speaking competence. The study highlights the need to create more opportunities for students to practice speaking both inside and outside the classroom and to address psychological barriers to communication. Despite some limitations, including small sample size and time constraints, the research offers a foundation for future studies on communication strategies in language learning across different contexts.