The use of communication strategies in computer-mediated communication

This within-groups study examines communication strategy use among adult learners of English in a computer-mediated environment. Specifically, communication strategies employed during problem-free discourse as well as compensatory strategy use during task-based computer-mediated communication (CMC) were explored. This strategy use was also examined relative to communicative task type (jigsawand decision-making). The data suggest that learners use a wide array of communication strategies during task-based CMC and that the CMC environment shapes this use. Learners also employed various compensatory strategies while navigating the tasks. However, though there is modest evidence that task type influences compensatory strategy use, these strategies were found to be equally effective in terms of subsequent acquisition of target lexical items embedded in the tasks.