The influence of learning context and age on the use of L2 communication strategies

Abstract

This study examines the effects of foreign language learning context (three-month study-abroad; versus ‘at-home’ instruction) and age (10–11-year-old children versus university students) on the development of effective foreign language communication strategies (CS) in monologue production. Participants (N = 95) were all Spanish/Catalan bilingual learners of English as a foreign language. A pre-test/post-test design was adopted, with participants performing an oral narrative both before and after a ‘learning’ period of three months spent either studying abroad in a target language context or studying the target language at home. The narratives were analysed for use of first-language (L1)-based strategies; further, a measure of CS effectiveness was developed and implemented. Results suggest that the study-abroad experience had a significant positive effect on children, who increased their use of effective CS and reduced the proportion of L1-based CS as compared to at-home children. However, the influence of learning context on adult use of effective CS and reduction in L1-based CS was not so clearly marked.