Communication style of non-native speakers of English as participants in conversation: for effective communication

Author : Kaori Doi

Abstract :How do non-native speakers of English communicate effectively in conversation conducted only in English? This study investigates the communication style of learners of English focusing on the role of “speaker” and “listener.” The study analyzes the conversational interaction between non-native speakers of English (NNSEs). A great number of studies have analyzed how speakers or listeners use conversation strategies to communicate effectively: for example, backchannels and conversation repairs. Backchannel (Aizuchi in Japanese) is one of the strategies that shows “listenership” and conducts a variety of roles in conversation. Conversation repair and correction are the strategies that reduce the misunderstanding between participants in conversation and clarify the contents in conversation. Researchers were inspired by Schegloff, Jefferson and Sacks (1977) and have analyzed repairs from a variety of aspects. Previous studies in ELF have frequently reported self-repairs as one of the clarification strategies, which raises explicitness in the current speaker’s utterance in interaction (Kauer 2011, Mauranen 2007). Most of studies analyze such strategies in conversation by native speakers and others investigate them in the context of second language acquisition: interaction between a teacher and a student. However, not many studies have focused on conversation between non-native speakers of English (NNSEs) n which communication occurs only in their L2 and without instructor supervision This study analyzes characteristics of conversation strategies as both “listener” and “speaker” in conversation by learners of English and demonstrates how participants use strategies as “speaker” or “listener” from the perspective of effective communication. The study also compare conversation by NNSEs with the one by NNSE and NSE (native speaker of English) and indicates the difference between them. This study analyzes characteristics of conversation strategies as both speaker and listener in English only interactions by Japanese L1 students, and it examines its communicative effectiveness (and analyzes the functions of gestures as a multimodal aspect of interaction.) The data in this study consists of interactions videotaped and transcribed in which Japanese university students talk freely in English. This focuses on moments in which difficulty is managed to communicate in only in English and analyze the strategies for it.

Keywords :Non-native speakers, communication strategies, backchannels, conversation repair, English learning

Conference Name :International Conference on Linguistics and Applied Linguistics (ICLAL-25)

Conference Place Barcelona, Spain

Conference Date 13th Oct 2025