An Investigation of the Transactional Competence of International University Students Performing Task-based Communication
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Abstract
Task-based communication is an inescapable fact of university life, both inside and outside the classroom. The research of this study is interested in how international university students perform closed oral tasks by exploring the communication strategies used to complete such “transactions.” This study used a task-based pre-test/post-test methodology to examine if the treatment of teaching communication strategies affects transactional competence. Through a qualitative and quantitative assessment of task-based communication, this study observed ten international university students throughout twelve weeks while investigating their ability to negotiate meaning to complete the tests. The investigation focused on achievement strategies such as asking for clarification or confirmation and interactional strategies such as comprehension checks. The research found that the referential nature of the task and the directive function of language instigated a variety of Language Related Episodes that varied in their complexity depending on the interlocutors. These episodes demonstrated that there is a necessity for greater awareness of communication strategies to enhance the transactional competence and resulting communicative performance of international university students.
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