Exploring the Effectiveness of Communication Strategies Through Pro-Active Listening in ELF-Informed Pedagogy

Abstract

This study explores the effectiveness of communication strategies (CSs) through pro-active listening (PAL) comprehension activities for students to actively negotiate and co-construct meaning in an English as a lingua franca (ELF)informed pedagogy. Data was collected from fifty-three Japanese students in classes at the Center for English as a Lingua Franca (CELF) at Tamagawa University. Quantitative and qualitative methods were employed. Responses to a preand postquestionnaire on the perceived effectiveness of CS use, transcribed speech collected during PAL comprehension activities, and written reflections by students were analyzed. The findings suggest that an ELFinformed pedagogy of explicit teaching of CSs increases students’ perceived ability to use CSs effectively in PAL activities. ELF pedagogy should incorporate opportunities for students to explicitly learn and use CSs independently to become competent international communicators among other ELF speakers.