Aspects of Fluency Across Assessed Levels of Speaking Proficiency

Abstract

Recent research in second language acquisition suggests that a number of speed, breakdown, repair, and composite measures reliably assess fluency and predict proficiency. However, there is little research evidence to indicate which measures best characterize fluency at each assessed level of proficiency and which can consistently distinguish one level from the next. This study investigated fluency in 32 speakers’ performing 4 tasks of the British Council's Aptis Speaking Test, which were awarded 4 different levels of proficiency (Common European Framework of Reference for Language levels A2–C1). Using PRAAT, the performances were analyzed for various aspects of utterance fluency across different levels of proficiency. The results suggest that speed and composite measures consistently distinguish fluency from the lowest to upper‐intermediate levels (A2–B2), and many breakdown measures differentiate between the lowest level (A2) and the rest of the proficiency groups, with a few differentiating between lower (A2, B1) and higher levels (B2, C1). The varied use of repair measures at different levels suggests that a more complex process is at play. The findings imply that a detailed micro‐analysis of fluency offers a more reliable understanding of the construct and its relationship with assessment of proficiency.

To What Extent Are Multiword Sequences Associated With Oral Fluency?

“…It is also possible to argue that L2 learners who make more repairs draw less on formulaic language and target like MWSs. It is essential to note that the existing literature has so far documented mixed findings concerning the role of repair phenomena in L2 proficiency and oral development (Saito, Ilkan, Magne, Tran, & Suzuki, ; Tavakoli et al., ). Some researchers (e.g., Gilabert, ) have argued that repair behavior is more closely linked with the accuracy rather than the fluency aspect of performance, due to L2 learners’ attention to well‐formedness.…”

“…We also examined pause location in terms of occurrence in the middle of the clause or at the end of the clause. Research in this area (Skehan et al., ; Tavakoli, ; Tavakoli, Nakatsuhara, & Hunter, ) suggests that L2 speakers, especially at lower proficiency levels, pause more frequently in mid‐clause position, whereas native speakers pause more frequently at end‐clause junctures. Some emerging evidence also suggests that there is a link between lexical knowledge and pause locations (de Jong, ): That is, learners with limited L2 lexical knowledge are more likely to pause in both mid‐clause and end‐clause positions.…”

The Relationship Between Utterance and Perceived Fluency: A Meta‐Analysis of Correlational Studies

“…Repair fluency is in a supplementary relationship with breakdown fluency (Williams & Korko, 2019), as repairs can reflect the operation of self‐monitoring processes (Kormos, 2006) and offer an opportunity for speakers to buy time to deal with disruptions in speech production processes (Bui, Ahmadian, & Hunter, 2019). Repair fluency has been found to be consistent across first language (L1) and L2 production (Peltonen & Lintunen, 2016) and across L2 proficiency levels (Tavakoli et al., 2020), suggesting that it is more strongly associated with individual speaking style than L2 competence.…”

“…From a pedagogical perspective, understanding the role of temporal features in L2 speech perception can yield valuable information for setting curricular objectives and enhancing L2 learners’ fluency in classroom language teaching. As oral fluency is a robust indicator of L2 oral proficiency (Baker–Smemoe et al., 2014; De Jong et al., 2013; Tavakoli, Nakatsuhara, & Hunter, 2020), listener‐based judgements of fluency also play a crucial role in language assessment contexts. Therefore, a better understanding of the association between speech characteristics and listener‐based judgements of fluency is of great importance for the development of research‐informed assessment rubrics, rater training, and automated scoring systems (see De Jong, 2018; Duijm, Schoonen, & Hulstijn, 2018; Ginther, Dimova, & Yang, 2010), which in turn has a substantial impact on high‐stakes proficiency tests.…”

Grammatical Errors Performed by Tourist Guides in Gorontalo City

“…There are some aspects in speaking (Dippold, Bridges, Eccles, & Mullen, 2019;Tavakoli, Nakatsuhara, & Hunter, 2020). Grammar is one of the aspects that should be concerned.…”