Navigating English-mediated online discourse: Communication strategies of Indonesian EFL learners in online discussions

Abstract

For non-native English speakers, effective and meaningful communication in English can pose challenges due to potential limitations in their communicative competence. Such challenges can cause communication breakdowns if not effectively managed. This complexity is compounded when English communication occurs in an online setting, where technological issues and lack of social presence may disrupt the communication. This study aims to explore the communication strategies utilized by Indonesian EFL learners when participating in online group discussions. The data were collected from six groups of first-year English Department students involving a total of twenty-two students engaged in 20-minute online discussions per group. The analysis focused on the discourse produced by the participants during these discussions observing the strategies employed by the participants. The findings indicated that Indonesian EFL learners predominantly applied achievement and compensatory strategies. These strategies encompassed code-switching, circumlocution, approximation, the use of all-purpose words, word foreignizing, and appealing for help. Among these strategies, code-switching emerged as the prevailing strategy for Indonesian EFL learners engaged in online group discussions. While conversing, code- switching was automatically and naturally used, particularly when referring to Indonesian acronyms and names. At last, implications and future directions are addressed.