Interactional Communication Strategy In Synchronous CMC Environment And English Summer Camp

The current thesis reports on a preliminary and exploratory study on interactive communication strategy in literature and use. The thesis aims to theoretically highlight a devalued concept, namely interactive communication strategy. One of the overarching objectives of this study is to find out some empirical evidence of interactive communication strategies among international chatters in computer mediated communication environment and in an English summer camp. The study also seeks to explore some influential factors of interactive communication strategy use. Finally this thesis endeavors to investigate the differences and similarities of interactive communication strategy use in the two above-mentioned environments so as to provide some reference for speaking English teaching in China and how to exploit synchronous CMC environment as a channel of practicing English via communication. The study is both a qualitative and quantitative research endeavor that involves a theoretical exploration, a case study and a questionnaire survey. First a comprehensive literature review on various academic fields is carried out to dig out a list of the underestimated interactive communication strategies. Second, some online chatscripts involving 14 popular chatters are marked or coded in terms of interactional communication strategies sorted out from literature review. The frequency of each strategy is then calculated with Wordlist and confirmed with the help of Concord in Wordsmith. Results demonstrate that most of the listed interactional communication strategies are popular among most of the successful popular chatters. The most frequently applied interactive communication strategies reveal that the prevailing behavioral pattern in synchronous Computer Mediated Communication environment is safe entertainment. Mann-Whitney U test demonstrates that chatting setting, whether peaceful or conflicting, has influenced the use of some conflict management strategies significantly. Sex has only influenced significantly one strategy use. Thirdly, a questionnaire survey is performed to investigate interactive communication strategy use among 234 non-English majors from an English Summer Camp. Item analysis, reliability analysis and validity analysis to the questionnaire items provide valuable basis for further research into interactive communication strategy. Four of the interactive communication strategies fail to distinguish the highly strategic group and the poorly strategic group. Eight other strategies do not have high correlation value with the mainstream factor. The only reliable and valid factor in this part of the research reveals that the behavioral pattern of the Chinese learners in English Summer Camp is to safeguard learning in communication. The percentage of the students who frequently applied the interactive communication strategies reveals that more than half of the students have used frequently the vast majority of the listed interactive communication strategies. Kruskal-Wallis H test reveals that motivation and personality have influenced most of the tested strategy use significantly. Through the comparison of the results of the two environments, different behavioral patterns surfaced due to different communication purposes and some other reasons. The differences illustrate that Chinese English learners need to further improve some interactive communication strategy consciousness and competency. The similarities indicate that some Chinese participants are highly strategic. They have the potential to exploit the synchronous Computer Mediated Communication environment as a way of learning. Therefore the current study expands the theoretical coverage of communication strategy research in both Second Language Acquisition and synchronous Computer Mediated Communication. Practically it also provides abundant information for Chinese English learners and teachers who would like to exploit the synchronous Computer Mediated Communication environment as a way of teaching and learning. Influential factors of the two environments can also hopefully orientate the students'endeavor in the future when they hope to enhance their communication strategy competency in order to communicate with international English speakers successfully. This research will also hopefully provide some insight into speaking English teaching in China.