Impact of Proficiency Level and Formal Instruction on Language Learners’ Behaviours of Oral Communication Strategies in Online Learning Environments
Abstract
Considering the transition of more classes to online education after COVID-19, understanding learners’ behaviours is crucial for teachers to manage interactions in online learning environments (OLEs). This quantitative study investigates which Oral Communication Strategies (OCS) language learners use in OLE and examines the impact of proficiency level and length of formal instruction on OCS use. Data were collected from 93 tertiary-level foreign-language learners by administering Nakatani’s (2006) adapted Oral Communication Strategy Inventory (OCSI). The SPSS analyses reveal that language learners use ‘negotiation for meaning’ most frequently and ‘message abandonment’ least frequently in the OLE. While further analyses found no difference in OCS use across proficiency levels, they revealed a significant correlation between the length of formal English instruction and affective OCS use. Moreover, the length of formal instruction predicts foreign language learners’ use of planning and organising strategies, which is a novel finding in the field. These empirical insights yield practical implications by informing language teachers’ in-the-moment decision-making behaviours during online language classes.
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.51383/ijonmes.2025.438
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