Use of communication strategies in an interactional context: The interlocutor influence

Despite the vast body of research on communication strategies (CSs) and the way L2 learners manage to get their message across via these mechanisms, there is little research on Spanish as L2 in an interactional context and between different types of dyads. This is why this study attempts to examine a possible relationship between Spanish L2 learners' use of communication strategies and the type of interactant (learner and native speaker). For this, twenty-four face-to-face interactions of two types of dyads carrying out two tasks were analysed by drawing on Dörnyei and Körmos' taxonomy (1998) and Dörnyei and Scott's interactional CSs (1997). The data collection involved video and audio recording, observation of participants' interactions and stimulated recall methodology. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were conducted to investigate a possible association between CSs and the interlocutor factor. Findings confirm an association between the learners' CS usage and the type of interlocutor as being more influenced by the speakers' linguistic background and, consequently, the NS's role as an L2 expert.