Teachers’ use of communication strategies in Tanzanian KSL classrooms.

This study explored teachers’ use of Communication Strategies (CSs) in Tanzanian Kiswahili as the Second Language (KSL) classrooms. Particularly, it sought to (i) determine types of CSs used by KSL teachers in classroom interaction and (ii) ascertain the teachers’ cognizance of the use of such strategies in classroom interaction. Literature survey reveals that CSs play significant roles in overcoming language mismatch between higher proficient interlocutors and Second Language (SL) learners. The strategies help in negotiating meaning between such interlocutors. However, there is a dearth of studies on how native speaking teachers of SLs use CSs to facilitate classroom interaction. Most studies involved learners and non-native speaking teachers of English as a Foreign Language (EFL). Thus, a study that would involve native-speaking teachers of KSL in Tanzania was worth doing. This qualitative case study involved three KSL teachers who were purposively sampled from the Kiswahili na Utamaduni (KIU) training centre. Classroom observation and personal interviews were used to collect data. Basing on Dӧrnyei and Scott's (1995) Taxonomy of CSs, the collected data were transcribed, coded, and analysed thematically. Findings indicate that the teachers used CSs for purposes different from those of their learners. The findings also show that the teachers used CSs with limited knowledge of specific strategies and their uses. This study recommends that KSL teachers should consider using CSs effectively to facilitate classroom interaction. In addition, teachers’ training colleges should consider involving units on CSs in language teaching courses.