Circumlocution in Language Learning

Definition:

Circumlocution is the strategy of expressing an idea you lack the exact word for by describing it using other available language — talking “around” a concept rather than naming it directly. A learner who doesn’t know the word “stapler” might say “the machine that joins papers together with small metal pieces” — that’s circumlocution. It is a natural, universal L2 coping strategy that allows communication to continue even with vocabulary gaps, and it is considered an important component of strategic competence in communicative competence frameworks. Developing fluent, effective circumlocution is also one of the clearest markers of communicative resourcefulness — the ability to work with what you have rather than shutting down when exact vocabulary is unavailable.

Circumlocution as Communication Strategy

When learners face a lexical gap (they don’t know a word they need), they have several options:

Abandon the message: Give up and say “I don’t know how to say it”
Switch to L1: Say the L1 word and hope the interlocutor understands
Avoid the topic: Choose not to say anything requiring the unknown word
Circumlocute: Describe the concept using other available words

Circumlocution is the most communicatively sophisticated option — it keeps the conversation going, communicates the intended meaning (however approximately), and provides an implicit invitation for the interlocutor to supply the missing word.

Types of Circumlocution

Categorical description: “It’s a type of fruit” / “It’s a kind of tool you use in the kitchen”

Functional description: “The thing you use when you want to open a can” / “The device that keeps your papers together”

Physical description: “It’s small and round and you usually find it in a bathroom” / “A large white animal with black spots”

Comparison: “It’s like a bicycle but with a motor” / “Similar to sushi but it’s Korean”

Negation/contrast: “It’s the opposite of happy” / “Not furniture, but it’s similar — you use it in a kitchen”

Circumlocution in Proficiency Assessment

Many standardized oral proficiency assessments (IELTS speaking, CEFR level descriptors, OPI) explicitly assess circumlocution ability as a marker of strategic competence and communicative resourcefulness:

Lower proficiency: Communication halts at vocabulary gaps; learner signals inability and waits
Mid proficiency: Learner attempts circumlocution but with significant hesitation and simple descriptions
Higher proficiency: Learner circumlocutes smoothly, accurately, and efficiently, often triggering the interlocutor to supply the missing word

Circumlocution and Vocabulary Growth

There is a productive interaction between circumlocution and vocabulary acquisition:

Successful circumlocution often leads the interlocutor to supply the target word — providing the exact label for the concept just described
This “acquisition by circumlocution” is a natural gap-fill mechanism in immersion contexts
The attempt to circumlocute also activates semantic networks around the concept, priming the learner to notice the correct word when it appears in subsequent input

History

Circumlocution as a communication strategy has been described in clinical speech-language pathology (patients with word-finding difficulties use circumlocution), and adapted to L2 research:

1977 — Tarone, “Conscious communication strategies in interlanguage.” Early taxonomy of communication strategies including circumlocution; establishes it as a research-relevant learner behavior.

1983 — Faerch and Kasper, “Strategies in Interlanguage Communication.” Comprehensive treatment of communication strategies including compensatory strategies like circumlocution.

1990 — Canale, strategic competence framework. Circumlocution positioned as a core component of strategic competence in communicative competence — one of the five competences needed for full communicative ability.

Common Misconceptions

“Circumlocution is a sign of low proficiency.” While circumlocution becomes less frequent as vocabulary depth increases, it is used strategically by speakers at all proficiency levels — including native speakers in specialized domains where they lack technical vocabulary. The skill is recognizing when to deploy circumlocution effectively to maintain communication flow rather than stalling on an unknown form.

“Circumlocution is the same as paraphrase.” Paraphrase involves expressing the same meaning using different words of similar functional status; circumlocution specifically performs a semantic description of something for which the target expression is unavailable. All circumlocution is paraphrase-like, but not all paraphrase is circumlocution.

Criticisms

Circumlocution as a communication strategy has been criticized in theoretical frameworks that distinguish between avoidance, achievement, and communication strategies. Some researchers argue that habitual circumlocution — describing around gaps rather than acquiring the missing vocabulary — can become a compensatory habit that impedes lexical development because it removes the learning motivation associated with the gap. Learners who circumlocute successfully may never notice or address their vocabulary gaps, potentially slowing lexical acquisition.

Social Media Sentiment

Circumlocution is discussed in language learning communities primarily as a “speaking tip” — advice to keep talking even when a specific word is unavailable. YouTube channels on Japanese, Chinese, Spanish, and French frequently include circumlocution as one of several fluency strategies. The idea that missing vocabulary need not stop communication resonates with learners who are intimidated by speaking and gives permission to attempt conversations despite imperfect lexical knowledge.

Last updated: 2026-04

Practical Application

Practice deliberately. Find a picture dictionary for your target language and practice describing objects without saying their name — this forces circumlocution practice and identifies vocabulary gaps.

Don’t stop when words are missing. Make it a rule to try to circumlocute rather than abandon a message or switch languages. The attempt is both communicatively effective and scaffolds vocabulary acquisition.

Use circumlocution to trigger word supply. In conversation with a native speaker, if you’re circumlocuting about something they know, they’ll often supply the word — this is a natural incidental acquisition event.

Sakubo helps narrow the vocabulary gaps that require circumlocution. Building vocabulary through SRS review means you have the exact word available more often, reducing the need for circumlocution while improving the sophistication of what you can express.

Related Terms

Research

Bialystok, E. (1990). Communication Strategies: A Psychological Analysis of Second-Language Use. Blackwell.

The foundational psychological analysis of communication strategies in L2 production, including circumlocution; proposes a framework for understanding how learners manage gaps in their L2 knowledge during real-time communication.

Faerch, C., & Kasper, G. (Eds.) (1983). Strategies in Interlanguage Communication. Longman.

The landmark edited volume establishing the taxonomy of communication strategies including achievement strategies (of which circumlocution is an example), providing the theoretical framework for studying how L2 speakers maintain communication despite lexical and grammatical limitations.

Dornyei, Z., & Scott, M. L. (1997). Communication strategies in a second language: Definitions and taxonomies. Language Learning, 47(1), 173-210.

A comprehensive meta-analysis of communication strategy research proposing a unified definitional framework and examining the cognitive and social dimensions of circumlocution and related strategies across L2 learners of multiple target languages.

Mikey Does