Author Type

Graduate Student

Date of Award

2001

Document Type

Thesis

Publication Status

Version of Record

Submission Date

October 2026

Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]

DuBravac, Stayc

Abstract

This study investigates whether synchronous computer-mediated communication (CMC) has the potential to foster second language learners' strategic competence (as a component of communicative competence). For this purpose, the use of communication strategies (CSs) by 15 fourth-semester students of German during four computer-mediated and four oral "jigsaw" tasks is compared. The students used more CSs in oral interaction, which is attributed to a lesser degree of utterance planning in oral interaction and stronger time constraints in synchronous CMC. However, this quantitative difference is due to only five students' use of significantly more CSs in oral interaction. The distribution of the various CS types was similar in both communication modes; only code-switching occurred much more frequently in synchronous CMC, which is attributed to stronger time constraints in this medium and less monitoring by the instructor. Hence, synchronous CMC is not superior to oral interaction as far as promoting CS use is concerned.

Extent

202 p.

Comments

Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters|FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection|Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2001.|Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters

Identifier

FADT12814

Format

pdf

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