A B737-300 CREW WHILE ON VECTORS TO KSLC RESPONDED TO A TCAS 'DSND RA' AT 13000 FT.

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ON INITIAL CONTACT WITH SALT LAKE APCH; WE WERE GIVEN A 'DSCNT TO 12000 FT; LCL ALTIMETER; HDG 150 DEGS; NORMAL SPD; AND EXPECT RWY 34L.' FIRST OF ALL; THAT'S TOO MUCH INFO ON AN INITIAL CALL. WE READ IT BACK. IN ABOUT 10 MI WE GOT A TA CALL OF '12 O'CLOCK; 13000 FT' AS WE DSNDED THROUGH ABOUT 13500 FT. NEXT CAME A 'TURN TO 220 DEGS; AND I SHOW YOU 5 MI L OF COURSE.' I RESPONDED 'WE ARE ON A VECTOR SIR.' ABOUT THIS TIME WE GOT AN RA TO 'DSND; DSND.' THE COPLT FLEW AS I SEARCHED FOR THE TFC. WHEN I SAW IT; WE CAME APPROX 1 MI HORIZ AND 200 FT VERTLY (BASED ON TCASII INFO). THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A MISCOM BTWN APCH AND OUR COCKPIT. FEWER PIECES OF INFO (MY PERSONAL MAXIMUM IS 3) IN ONE CALL; AND INCREASED CTLR VIGILANCE FOR ACCURATE READBACK IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 524431: APCH GAVE US A TURN TO 150 DEGS; DSCNT. ALTIMETER; EXPECTED RWY. THE CAPT READ BACK ALL INFO. NEXT CALL WAS TURN TO 220 DEGS L OF COURSE WITH VFR TFC AT 12000 FT AND SHOW YOU 'L OF COURSE.' WE REPLIED 'ON A VECTOR TURNING TO 220 DEGS. TA/RA STARTED. I FOLLOWED GUIDANCE. CAPT PICKED UP TFC. AVOIDED IT. I THINK THERE WAS A COM BREAKDOWN OR APCH FORGOT THAT WE WERE ON VECTORS.