COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES EMPLOYED BY ENGLISH TEACHERS OF THE STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS AT SEKOLAH LUAR BIASA NEGERI BENGKULU

Communication strategies are deliberate methods used by a person to overcome
linguistics constraints when articulating his or her thoughts. This research aims to
analyse employed and reasoned communication strategies of English teachers of
students with special needs. This research used a mixed-method design with the
explanatory approach. The participants were five English teachers from five
different Sekolah Luar Biasa Negeri (SLBN) in Bengkulu. For obtaining the data,
the research used an observation checklist with field notes and interview
guidelines. The analysis consisted of three essential iterative stages:
reading/memorisation, description, and categorisation. The results showed that the
communication strategies employed by English teachers was 1 type of
communication strategy, 2 groups, and 16 subcategories. The type of
communication strategies was compensatory strategies. The first group was intra-
actional strategy, with the subcategories: code-switching, foreignizing, use of non-
linguistic means, self-repair, use of all-purpose words, approximation,
circumlocution, literal translation, use of fillers/hesitation devices, and self-
repetition. The second group was interactional strategy, with subcategories:
asking for repetition, appeal for help, clarification request, asking for
confirmation, comprehension check, and expressing non-understanding. The
reasons from teachers for using the communication strategies were to solve or to
avoid issues in self-expression & understanding; to monitor, improve, and warn
about the accuracy level of performance; to collaborate to continue, complement,
and repair, ignoring the problem and use of fillers. Overall, these strategies seems
help teachers maintain effective communication with students, overcome
language barriers, and create an environment conducive to learning.
Keywords: Communication Strategies, English Teachers, Students with Special
Needs