An Exploration into English Language Teachers’ and Students’ Perceptions on the Importance of Practicing Strategic Competence in Communicative English Lessons: Focus on WSU English Language and Literature Department

Abstract

Strategic competence is the ability to recognize and repair communication breakdown. It is said that second or foreign language learners may face language competence problem while communicating in English. Thus, it is inevitable to use strategic competence in EFL/SL classrooms. Strategic competence enables students to overcome the communication breakdown they encounter in such contexts. It also helps learners to stay on the conversation. To make our students effective in using/practicing strategic competence, they should learn or should be taught clearly the techniques of strategic competence. However, teachers teaching of strategic competence and students’ use of strategic competence depend upon the positive perception of English language teachers and students towards the issue. Hence, the main purpose of this study was to explore English language teachers’ and students’ perception on the importance of practicing strategic competence in communicative English lessons. Descriptive research design was employed to achieve the objectives of this study. Besides, English language teachers and students were the participants of the study. Purposive sampling technique’s was used to select 8(eight) English language teachers and 106(one hundred six) students as samples of this research project. Then, data were obtained via semi-structured interview and questionnaire. The quantitative data gathered from the close ended questions of questionnaire were coded and filled into SPSS. Then, different statistical analysis such as frequency and percentage were applied to the SPSS data. Beside, the data obtained via semi-structured interview, were transcribed the data into textual form and then, were analyzed the data qualitatively. From the data analysis different findings were obtained. The study divulged that the participants have positive perception on the importance of strategic competence. The perception of an individual towards some issue has its own effect on the implementation or practice of what is going to be done. Thus, teachers' and students' positive perception about the importance of strategic competence would facilitate the teaching as well as the learning of strategic competence in their communicative English lessons. Finally, the recommendations were given based on the findings of the study.

Keyword: English Language, perception, strategic competence, communicative English, English language teachers’