Strategic Competence
Review of Literature
Strategic competence, which is one of the major components of communicative competence, is, as a number of researchers believe, widely neglected by language course books and teachers. This component is relevant to one's mother and target languages, for communication breakdowns might occur in both situations and they must be overcome. Yet it is of crucial importance for foreign language learners because it involves strategies to be used whenever communication is difficult.
To get a clear idea of this neglected component, first we will go through the history of the term "communication strategy" and the definitions coined by those interested in the study of the term. Then we will have a look into the types and classifications of communication strategies (CSs) given by researchers. The last part of this review is devoted to pedagogical implications. This part includes the significance of teaching CSs, factors affecting students' choice of CSs and finally strategy training activities.
i. Background of the Term "Communication Strategy"
a. Development of the term:
Dörnyei and Scott (1997) in their article Communication Strategies in a Second Language: Definitions and Taxonomies trace the development of the term "communication strategy". They state that Selinker was the first to coin the term in his paper on "interlanguage". Yet, they say that Selinker did not go into detail about the nature of such strategies. In the same year, Savignon published a research report highlighting the importance of these strategies in communicative language teaching and testing, which she calls "coping strategies". However, the first one to provide a definition of CS and offer a taxonomy which is still seen as one of the most influential in the field were Tarone and her associates.
The real career of CSs, as Dörnyei and Scott state, began in the early 1980s. First, they were included in Canale and Swain's influential model of communicative competence. Then Faerch
Strategic competence, which is one of the major components of communicative competence, is, as a number of researchers believe, widely neglected by language course books and teachers. This component is relevant to one's mother and target languages, for communication breakdowns might occur in both situations and they must be overcome. Yet it is of crucial importance for foreign language learners because it involves strategies to be used whenever communication is difficult.
To get a clear idea of this neglected component, first we will go through the history of the term "communication strategy" and the definitions coined by those interested in the study of the term. Then we will have a look into the types and classifications of communication strategies (CSs) given by researchers. The last part of this review is devoted to pedagogical implications. This part includes the significance of teaching CSs, factors affecting students' choice of CSs and finally strategy training activities.
i. Background of the Term "Communication Strategy"
a. Development of the term:
Dörnyei and Scott (1997) in their article Communication Strategies in a Second Language: Definitions and Taxonomies trace the development of the term "communication strategy". They state that Selinker was the first to coin the term in his paper on "interlanguage". Yet, they say that Selinker did not go into detail about the nature of such strategies. In the same year, Savignon published a research report highlighting the importance of these strategies in communicative language teaching and testing, which she calls "coping strategies". However, the first one to provide a definition of CS and offer a taxonomy which is still seen as one of the most influential in the field were Tarone and her associates.
The real career of CSs, as Dörnyei and Scott state, began in the early 1980s. First, they were included in Canale and Swain's influential model of communicative competence. Then Faerch