Table 2 Individual cognitive strategies used and usage patterns

1. Analyzing input

When you say meetings, -- more than one, it’s not just one meeting or two meetings…why do people meet there… (Andy)

- Used upon examining keywords from input question(s) to then plan content of response

2. Anticipating grade or examiner’s reaction/impression

I want to use some good words not just ‘They are nervous’ to get a high score. (Dolly)

I gave you [the examiner] some personal experience so you can think ‘this candidate is not memorizing a whole sample’ (Faye)

- Mobilised when adjustments made post-monitoring or evaluating of performance

- Driven by goal to obtain higher score or impress the examiner

3. Linking previous knowledge/experience

I remember my first class here… so I took as an example for answer. (Diane)

- Triggered by input questions; language and content for response drawn from mental images of experience or knowledge

- Idea development hindered when topic knowledge is limited; tendency to then to make-up details

4. Making-up answer

The example, I ask my friend but he is not willing to attend because sheer waste of my time… did not happen. (Harry)

- Used when no relevant experience or knowledge comes to mind

- Combine reality and fictional facts to make up; examiner cannot detect truth or lie

5. Recalling

To explain diplomatic, I could not find the word …like a good relationship between two countries. (Alice)

- Used while producing utterances to express or clarify ideas

- Time-consuming lead to topic avoidance or reformulating the response

6. Summarizing thoughts verbally

During a past skype meeting I was checking my facebook or on the mobile phone…. That’s why I said people are much more ‘present’ at face-to-face meetings. (Bill)

- Used while speaking to control rush of ideas and to avoid lengthy, irrelevant explanation

7. Using first language

I was thinking in Malay how to categorize them [meetings]…what comes to mind was company meeting…and with friends (Gina)

- Used to understand meaning while listening to input questions or to locate synonyms while responding

- Applied when having difficulty explaining concepts in L2 (e.g. categorizing formal and informal meeting) or those learned in L1