The present study aims to explore the effects of explicit communication strategy
instruction on the strategy use of Thai learners of English in the Faculty of
Engineering at King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok
(KMUTNB), Thailand. The study first attempts to investigate whether the explicit
teaching of some specific communication strategies can alter Thai students’ reports of
the use and usefulness of communication strategies. Secondly, the study examines
whether Thai students increase the frequency of the use of nine taught strategies in
speaking tasks. Thirdly, the study explores whether students can identify the types of
communication strategies they use and investigates how the students explain reasons
for their strategy use in the retrospective verbal reports. Finally, the study aims to
explore students’ perceptions and their attitudes towards the teaching of
communication strategies and its usefulness.