An Exploration of the Relationships Among Task Repetition, Formulaic Language, and Perceived Fluency in Chinese L1 EAP Students' Oral Presentations

Abstract

This study explored the impact of the task repetition (TR)-"repetitions of the same or slightly altered tasks" (Bygate & Samuda, 2005, p. 43)-on the development of formulaic language (FL)-prefabricated sequences that are "stored and retrieved whole from memory" (Wray, 2002, p. 9)-and perceived L2 speech fluency gains. While there is a consensus that FL facilitates fluent speech (Wood, 2015) and that TR can lead to L2 fluency development (Bygate, 1996), it is not clear whether TR alone can yield gains in the FL use and fluency. This is especially the case with investigations in the EAP context that tend to focus on the development of writing and grammar abilities, not on speaking skills (Barnard & Scampton, 2008). To investigate the effectiveness of TR in the development of FL use and perceived fluency gain, two versions of oral presentations delivered by 10 Chinese L1 EAP students were studied for instances of FL use and rated for fluency. Students repeated the task twice, four weeks apart. While the FL analysis was done using the Wray and Namba's (2003) checklist, perceived fluency judgments (e.g., speech rate, comprehensibility, pauses and hesitations, language proficiency) were provided by three independent raters who assessed a representative portion of the presentations. The results indicate that TR led to gains in fluency and promoted an increased use of and variety in FL.