LESSON 6: COMMUNICATIVE STRATEGIES AND ITS TYPES
The use of communicative strategies is the hallmark of communicative
competence. Being able to use such strategies makes certain not only the achievement of
speech purpose but also the enrichment of the communication experience for both speaker
and listener. More than making interaction possible, communicative strategies when used
by the speaker (and sometimes the listener) allow for the adjustment of the message and its
delivery. Of course, such strategies are employed with specific speech context using a
combination of speech styles and speech acts.
Communicative strategies are plans/ways/means of sharing information which are
adopted to achieve a particular social, political, psychological, or linguistic purpose.
There are seven types of communicative strategies:
a. Nomination is a strategy that can also be applied anytime during the course of
an interaction as a way of continuing the communication. When this strategy is used, the
topic is introduced in a clear or truthful manner, stating only what is relevant to keep the
interaction focused.
b. Restriction is a strategy constrains or restricts the response of the other person
involved in the communication situation. The listener is forced to respond only within a set of
categories that is made by the speaker.
c. Turn-taking requires that each speaker speaks only when it is his/her turn
during an interaction. Knowing when to talk depends on watching out for the verbal and
nonverbal cues that signal the next speaker that the previous speaker has finished or the
topic under discussion has been exhausted and a new topic may be introduced. At the
same time, it also means that others should be given the opportunity to take a turn.
d. Topic control is simply a question-answer formula that moves the discussion
forward. This also allows the listeners or other participants to take turns, contribute ideas,
and continue the discussion.
e. Topic shifting is a strategy that is useful in introducing another topic. This
strategy works best when there is follow through so that a new topic continues to be
discussed.
f. Repair includes requesting clarifications, not acknowledging, topic shifting, not
responding, repeating, recasting, and adding. One requests clarification by asking questions
or using eyebrows, eyes, head, or shoulders to show that the message could not be
understood. By not acknowledging the new situation, the situation in progress will continue.
Topic shifting can help direct the discussion to another topic or divert the attention of the
listener from the topic that has become problematic. Repeating is a good way of correcting
oneself and gives the speaker to do just that. Recasting means changing the form of a
message that could not be understood. It allows the speaker to say the message in another
way so that the listener can understand what was originally incomprehensible.
g. Termination ends the interaction through verbal and nonverbal messages that
both speaker and listener send to each other Sometimes, the termination is quick and short.
Sometimes it is prolonged by clarifications, further questions, or the continuation of the topic
already discussed, but the point of the language and body movement is to end the
communication.
LESSON 6: COMMUNICATIVE STRATEGIES AND ITS TYPES
The use of communicative strategies is the hallmark of communicative
competence. Being able to use such strategies makes certain not only the achievement of
speech purpose but also the enrichment of the communication experience for both speaker
and listener. More than making interaction possible, communicative strategies when used
by the speaker (and sometimes the listener) allow for the adjustment of the message and its
delivery. Of course, such strategies are employed with specific speech context using a
combination of speech styles and speech acts.
Communicative strategies are plans/ways/means of sharing information which are
adopted to achieve a particular social, political, psychological, or linguistic purpose.
There are seven types of communicative strategies:
a. Nomination is a strategy that can also be applied anytime during the course of
an interaction as a way of continuing the communication. When this strategy is used, the
topic is introduced in a clear or truthful manner, stating only what is relevant to keep the
interaction focused.
b. Restriction is a strategy constrains or restricts the response of the other person
involved in the communication situation. The listener is forced to respond only within a set of
categories that is made by the speaker.
c. Turn-taking requires that each speaker speaks only when it is his/her turn
during an interaction. Knowing when to talk depends on watching out for the verbal and
nonverbal cues that signal the next speaker that the previous speaker has finished or the
topic under discussion has been exhausted and a new topic may be introduced. At the
same time, it also means that others should be given the opportunity to take a turn.
d. Topic control is simply a question-answer formula that moves the discussion
forward. This also allows the listeners or other participants to take turns, contribute ideas,
and continue the discussion.
e. Topic shifting is a strategy that is useful in introducing another topic. This
strategy works best when there is follow through so that a new topic continues to be
discussed.
f. Repair includes requesting clarifications, not acknowledging, topic shifting, not
responding, repeating, recasting, and adding. One requests clarification by asking questions
or using eyebrows, eyes, head, or shoulders to show that the message could not be
understood. By not acknowledging the new situation, the situation in progress will continue.
Topic shifting can help direct the discussion to another topic or divert the attention of the
listener from the topic that has become problematic. Repeating is a good way of correcting
oneself and gives the speaker to do just that. Recasting means changing the form of a
message that could not be understood. It allows the speaker to say the message in another
way so that the listener can understand what was originally incomprehensible.
g. Termination ends the interaction through verbal and nonverbal messages that
both speaker and listener send to each other Sometimes, the termination is quick and short.
Sometimes it is prolonged by clarifications, further questions, or the continuation of the topic
already discussed, but the point of the language and body movement is to end the
communication.