An Analysis of Meaning Negotiation Strategies Used in Conversation by Undergraduate EFL Students

摘要

Negotiation of meaning occurs in the interactions as a communication strategy to make meaning comprehensible. In a conversation, speakers and interlocutors may employ negotiation of meaning strategy to achieve mutual understanding. Negotiation of meaning is important in language acquisition and second or foreign language learning. With the use of negotiation of meaning, speakers and interlocutors can avoid misunderstanding and communication breakdowns. This qualitative study examined the ways in which learners of English employed negotiation of meaning strategies in conversation performed by six undergraduate EFL students. The data were collected through the participants' performance in an information gap activity, Spot the Difference task and analyzed using conversation analysis. The results revealed that frequently used negotiation of meaning strategies (confirmation checks, repetitions, and self-corrections) were used to help their interlocutors understand and comprehend meaning. Furthermore, this study revealed that the information gap activity provided opportunity for the participants to negotiate meaning as it required them to exchange information and compare the similarities and differences of their pictures. Finally, the study suggests that there is a need to examine the impact of negotiation of meaning in classroom interaction and the extent to which negotiation of meaning contributes to second or foreign language learning.