IDENTIFYING REPAIR STRATEGIES IN ENGLISH FILM CONVERSATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR APPLICATION IN TEACHING VERBAL INTERACTION SKILL TO B2-LEVEL LEARNERS OF ENGLISH

Abstract

In conversations, interlocutors have to perform communicative language activities in which they alternate their roles as speakers and listeners. During their interaction, interlocutors do not always fnd it possible to obtain what they have expected due to occasional communication breakdowns. In order to prevent potential incidents, interlocutors tend to use interaction strategies that belong to the category “communication repair”. Schegloff et al. (1974) did research into strategies of repairs, resulting in reliable fndings. Hence, it is necessary for English learners to master repair strategies so that they can improve their verbal interaction skill. Among the 6 levels of language competence in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages
(CEFR) (2011), at level B2, learners can flexibly use relevant repair strategies. Based on 100 conversations taken from four English flms, this article identifes, analyzes repair strategies and proposes some suggestions for applying these strategies to the teaching of the verbal interaction skill to B2-level learners of English.