Exploring the Oral Communication Strategies Used by Turkish EFL Learners: A Mixed Methods Study

This study set out with a threefold purpose: to examine (1) the oral communication strategies (CSs) employed by tertiary-level Turkish EFL learners, (2) the use of CSs based on exposure to English through audio-visual tools, university subject domain and gender differences, (3) the correlation between use of CSs and oral proficiency scores. To these ends, a quantitative dominant mixed methods triangulation design was put to use. Yaman and Kavasoglu's (2013) Turkish adaptation of Oral Communication Strategy Inventory was the main data collection instrument, accompanied by follow-up interviews to corroborate the quantitative findings. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA and Pearson product-moment correlations were conducted for statistical analyses while the qualitative data were deductively analysed through a priori theoretical guiding scheme. As a result, the participants were perceived to use oral CSs to some extent, with negotiation for meaning having the top priority. In parallel, as the interview data has shown, the students mentioned using CSs mainly for communication-bound reasons. Moreover, significant differences for CS use appeared only in terms of exposure to English through audio-visual tools in favor of those who reported more frequent exposure. Finally, a positive but weak correlation was calculated between students' overall CS use and oral proficiency scores.