Factors affecting second language communication strategies use and development

The purpose of this dissertation is to contribute to the field of second language (L2) communication strategies (CS) and, particularly, to examine which factors or combinations of factors are involved in the use and development of effective CS in L2 speakers. According to the review of the relevant literature, there is a series of potentially affecting factors that may influence or be connected to CS use, though their role remains controversial. The research questions in the present study are thus formulated with reference to the following factors: learning context (study abroad or SA vs. at-home courses or AH), attention control, analytic ability, language learning strategies (LLS) and proficiency level. Particular attention is paid to learning context as an affecting factor via an exploration of which of the other factors predict CS effectiveness development in each of the contexts under study. The relevant constructs are measured for 65 adult Spanish intermediate to upper-intermediate learners of English as an L2. Within that sample, 33 learners participated in a SA programme in an English-speaking country for four months, while the remaining 32 took around 15 hours of university courses taught in English in Spanish universities (AH group) over the same time period. The use of CS in English L2 communication was assessed both at the beginning (T1) and at the end (T2) of the testing period in order to account for the effect of learning context on the development of effective CS. Effectiveness in CS implementation was measured by means of a double analysis approach, consisting of an in-situ assessment performed by raters, and the application of a systematic CS effectiveness measurement instrument, the mini-Delphi scale (Montero, Serrano & Llanes, 2013). The results of the present study suggest, first, that there is no significant effect of either SA or AH L2 learning context or of proficiency level on the development of effective CS, at least over a period of four months. Second, attention control, analytic ability and LLS do not seem to be connected to the use of effective CS in L2 communication. The correlation between proficiency level and effective CS use seems to align with previous studies in indicating that more proficient L2 learners are more effective CS users. Finally, the results indicate that there are certain interactions between learning context and some of the other factors under analysis. More specifically, the results reveal that participants in the AH context with higher analytic ability develop their CS effectiveness to a greater extent than those with a lower analytic ability over a period of four months. Findings in the present study also suggest that SA students with higher attention control tend to develop more effective CS than those with lower attention control, although this connection is not as clear and therefore needs further research. This dissertation makes an original contribution to the CS research area by studying connections that have presumably not been investigated before, such as the possible influence of attention control and LLS on CS use, and also the possible interactions between L2 learning context (both SA and AH) and other factors with an effect on the development of effective CS. Additionally, this dissertation provides further empirical evidence to other controversial or understudied areas, such as the effect of learning context on CS effectiveness development and the connection between analytic ability and effective CS use.