The use of Communicative Strategies marks the hallmark of communicative competence. By using these strategies, speakers ensure not only the achievement of their speech purpose but also enrich the communication experience for both the speaker and listener. More than facilitating interaction, Communicative Strategies empower the speaker (and sometimes the listener) to adjust the message and its delivery. Naturally, speakers employ these strategies within specific speech contexts, utilizing a combination of speech styles and speech acts.
Communicative Strategies are plans, methods, or means of sharing information adopted to achieve particular social, political, psychological, or linguistic purposes. There are seven types of Communicative Strategies:
Nomination
When introducing a topic at the beginning of a Communicative Situation, the speaker employs the Nomination Communicative Strategy. This strategy can also be applied at any point during an interaction to continue the communication. By using this strategy, the speaker introduces the topic clearly and truthfully, stating only what is relevant to keep the interaction focused.
Examples:
Have you noticed the weird weather lately? Is this because of global warming?
I was late for class again! The MRT stopped midway. What is wrong with the MRT?
Restriction
The Restriction Communicative Strategy constrains or restricts the response of the other person involved in the communication situation, forcing the listener to respond only within a set of categories defined by the speaker.
Examples:
They say that the Philippine economy is getting better. Only the stupid think that, right? (No one wants to be stupid.)
That arrest move was a disaster waiting to happen. Do you agree? (Yes/No)
Turn-Taking
The Turn-taking Communicative Strategy requires each Speaker to speak only when it is their turn during an interaction. To know when to talk, speakers must watch for verbal and nonverbal cues that signal to the next Speaker that the previous Speaker has finished or that the topic under discussion has been exhausted and a new topic may be introduced. At the same time, speakers must give others the opportunity to take a turn. The Turn-taking Communicative Strategy employs either an informal approach (where speakers jump in and start talking) or a formal approach (where speakers request permission to speak).
Examples:
I agree with the point just made. But may l add that OFWs would rather be home and work here so they could be with their families.
May I have the floor, sir? The topic under discussion is the state of the Philippine economy today. We want better lives for all Filipinos, whether they are working here or abroad.
Topic Control
After the Nomination Communicative Strategy, the Topic-Control Communicative Strategy keeps the interaction going. This strategy employs a question-answer formula that propels the discussion forward, allowing the Listener or other participants to take turns, contribute ideas, and continue the conversation.
Examples:
How often do you ride the MRT, Tony? How many times have you encountered a stoppage in service?
Your car may break down, too, Luna, right? So you have to find another means of getting to school. We all do not want to be late for class, yes?
Topic Shifting
The Topic-Shifting Communicative Strategy effectively introduces another topic, working best when the discussion continues to follow through on the new subject. This strategy is also used in the Repair Communicative Strategy.
Examples:
This is a battle with corporations that continue to pollute the environment. But this is also a battle with man himself, who continues to act as if there is another Earth we can move to once this Earth dies.
If we cannot use the Earth’s resources, our economies will die. We need to choose: the economy or the environment.
Repair
We have already learned that communication almost always breaks down. When miscommunication occurs, you can apply the Repair Communicative Strategy, which includes requesting clarification, not acknowledging, topic shifting, not responding, repeating, recasting, and adding. You request clarification by asking questions or using your eyebrows, eyes, head, or shoulders to show that you could not understand the message. By choosing not to acknowledge the new situation, you allow the ongoing situation to continue. Topic shifting helps direct the discussion to another topic or diverts the listener’s attention from the problematic topic.
Repeating is an effective way to correct yourself and gives you time to do just that. Recasting means changing the form of a message that you could not understand, allowing you to express the message in another way so that the listener can grasp what was originally incomprehensible.
Examples:
I have ordered Colonel…uh…General Pano to look into this matter. He, General Pano I mean, will report directly to me, as President of the Philippines.
When we look at the World Wide Web, more popularly known as wwww… excuse me, www, we find that this Information Highway or rather Superhighway is the means toward becoming part of a globally economy, a global economy.
Termination
Lastly, Termination Communicative Strategy ends the interaction through verbal and nonverbal Messages that both Speaker and Listener send to each other. Sometimes the Termination is quick and short. Sometimes it is prolonged by clarifications, further questions, or the continuation of the topic already discussed, but the point of the language and body movement is to end the communication.
Example:
P1: So that’s it for our plans in the upcoming Student Council elections.
P2: Yes.
P3: Okay, all done.
P4: Finished.
P1: See you in class.
P2, P3, P4: See you later.
