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Exploring the Speaking Strategies of Iranian EFL Learners at Pre-Intermediate and Intermediate Proficiency Levels
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Hamed Badpa   |
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Abstract: (980 Views) |
The most significant problem for Iranian learners is that they are unable to effectively use their knowledge in communicating their messages. This research was both descriptive and quantitative. The participants were 15 pre-intermediate and 14 intermediate EFL learners between 16-23 years old who had enrolled in Talk Language School in Arak, Iran. The Nelson Proficiency Test was administered to determine the language proficiency level. The researcher recorded 36 sessions to make a permanent record of the learners ‘oral performance for later analysis. Eight sessions of each level were randomly selected, transcribed and then coded in order to provide answers for both questions. The coding categories included 22 types based on an integrated model of taxonomies presented by Dornyei and Scott (1997), which was originally adopted from Tarone‘s (1980), Faerch and Kasper‘s (1983) taxonomies. To answer the first question, the researcher calculated the frequency and means of strategies used by the subjects. For the second question, the relationship between learners' proficiency level, a chi-square test was employed. The findings showed that learners at both pre-intermediate and intermediate levels relied most often on fillers and hesitation devices, code-switching, asking for assistance, and repeating themselves. In contrast, strategies such as creating new words (word coinage), using foreign-sounding terms (foreignizing), and verifying listener understanding (comprehension checks) were the least commonly employed. These findings suggest that Iranian EFL learners heavily rely on basic communication strategies like fillers and code-switching, indicating a need for targeted instruction to expand their strategic competence. Additionally, the lack of significant correlation between proficiency level and strategy use implies that fluency development should focus on practical communication skills rather than solely on linguistic accuracy.
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| Keywords: EFL Learners, Iranian Students, Language Learning, Strategic Competence, Fluency Development |
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Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
General
Received: 2025/07/31 | Accepted: 2026/02/4 | Published: 2024/09/21
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