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Abstract
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Communication strategies (CSs) are systematic attempts by
language learners to encode or decode meaning in a target
language in situations where the appropriate target language
rules have not been formed. Based on this view,
communication strategies can be seen as compensatory means
for making up for linguistic deficiencies of second or foreign
language learners. Within the conceptual framework outlined,
this paper is a report on a research conducted at Azarbaijan
Teachers Education University on the students majoring in
English Language and Literature. The main aim was to seek a
relationship between the subjectsí use of communication
strategies in solving communication problems and their
proficiency levels in English as a foreign language. The data
was collected by means of one-to-one interviews with the
participants, and were analyzed both qualitatively and
quantitatively. The results indicated that the frequency of
communication strategies applied by the participants varied
according to their proficiency levels, i.e. low proficient learners
tended to employ more communication strategies in
comparison with high and moderate ones. The type of
communication strategies employed also varied according to
their oral proficiency level. It was revealed that high level
participants employed more L2
-based communication strategies
where the low proficient learners used more L1
-based ones.
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