Exploring the construct of interactional oral fluency: Second Language Acquisition and Language Testing approaches

Sato, Masatoshi

doi:10.1016/j.system.2014.05.004

Cited by 25 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 67 publications

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“…This differs from McCarthy's confluence in that these can be measured objectively and take into account more than turn‐taking and subjective impressions of the flow of conversation. Sato (2014) discussed interactional fluency , focusing on the perceived fluency of language learners engaged in paired decision‐making tasks. He found that fluent speakers show natural patterns of back‐channeling and turn‐taking, but disfluent speakers are hesitant in starting their turn.…”

Section: Background Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%

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Fluency in Dialogue: Turn‐Taking Behavior Shapes Perceived Fluency in Native and Nonnative Speech

Jong

Bosker

2020

Language Learning

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Fluency is an important part of research on second language learning, but most research on language proficiency typically has not included oral fluency as part of interactions even though natural communication usually occurs in conversations. The present study considered aspects of turn‐taking behavior as part of the construct of fluency and investigated whether these aspects differentially influence perceived fluency ratings of native and nonnative speech. Results from two experiments using acoustically manipulated speech showed that, in native speech, too “eager” answers (interrupting a question with a fast answer) and too “reluctant” answers (answering slowly after a long turn gap) negatively affected fluency ratings. However, in nonnative speech, only too “reluctant” answers led to lower fluency ratings. Thus, we demonstrated that acoustic properties of dialogue are perceived as part of fluency. By adding to the current understanding of dialogue fluency, these lab‐based findings carry implications for language teaching and assessment.

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Section: Background Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The term interactional fluency used by Sato (2014) followed from the term interactional competence (Galaczi & Taylor, 2018; Young, 2011). As noted above, research into fluency has so far capitalized on understanding the construct of fluency in monologue speaking competence.…”

Section: Background Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%

Fluency in Dialogue: Turn‐Taking Behavior Shapes Perceived Fluency in Native and Nonnative Speech

Jong

Bosker

2020

Language Learning

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“…The subcategories turn tempo/length involved comments on how natural and smooth transitions between turns were perceived to be, thus highlighting 'confluence' (McCarthy, 2010) or 'interactional oral fluency' (Sato, 2014). Raters used expressions such as: 'conversational fluency', 'natural turn-taking', 'maintain the conversation flowing' and 'discussion flows nicely and smoothly'.…”

Section: Turn-taking Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing interactional skills in a paired speaking test

Borger¹

2019

Apples

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The operationalization of interactional competence (IC) within the paired speaking test format allows for a range of interactional skills to be tested. However, in terms of assessment, challenges are posed with regard to the co-constructed nature of IC, making investigations into raters' perceptions of the construct essential to inform test score interpretation. This qualitative study explores features of IC that raters attended to as they evaluated performances in a paired speaking test, part of a Swedish national test of English as a Foreign Language (EFL). Two groups of raters, 17 EFL teachers from Sweden, using national standards based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), and 14 raters from Finland and Spain, using CEFR scales, rated six audio-recorded paired performances, and provided written comments to explain their scores and account for salient features. The findings of the content analysis indicate that raters attended to th ree main interactional resources: topic development moves, turn-taking management, and interactive listening strategies. As part of the decision -making process, raters also considered the impact of test-takers' interactional roles and how candidates' performances were interrelated. In the paper, interaction strategies that were perceived as more or less successful by raters are highlighted. The findings have implications for our understanding of raters' operationalization of IC in the context of paired speaking tests, and for the development of rating scales and guidelines that reflect the social dimensions of the construct.

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“…The study aims to identify and examine a possible range of frames that construe the in-service EFL primary school teachers' view of speech fluency in EFL. The study is embedded into the notions of framing (Pennington 1999;Pennington & Hoekje 2014) and speech fluency in a foreign language (Chambers 1997;Götz 2013;Kormos 2014;Kormos & Dénes 2004;Lennon 1990;Rossiter et al 2010;Sato 2014;Tavakoli & Hunter 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Whilst the definition of speech fluency varies depending on the researcher and the research paradigm (Götz 2013;James, Chambers, & Placzek 2018;Rossiter et al 2010;Tavakoli & Hunter 2018), speech fluency in FL/EFL settings is usually defined in terms of the learner's near-native proficiency that involves "an excellent grasp of the vocabulary and grammar of a language" (Rossiter et al 2010: 584). Traditionally, speech fluency is seen as an index of an EFL learner's proficiency (Kormos 2014;Lennon 1990;Sato 2014;Tavakoli 2010;Tavakoli & Hunter 2018). In this regard, Bosker and the colleagues (2012) suggest that an EFL learner's speech fluency is "an important measure in assessing a person's language proficiency" (Bosker et al 2012: 159).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Framing of Speech Fluency in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) by In-Service Primary School Teachers

Капранов¹

2019

Complut. j. Engl. stud.

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The article presents a mixed-method study of how in-service primary school teachers frame speech fluency in English as a Foreign Language (EFL). In the present study, a group of 19 in-service primary school teachers (further -participants) are asked to write reflective essays on the topic "My Understanding of Speech Fluency in EFL". The corpus of the participants' reflective essays has been contrasted with the reflective essays written on the same topic by a control group, which is comprised of 19 EFL pre-service primary school teachers. The results of the framing analysis reveal that the participants frame speech fluency in EFL by the frames Communication, Disfluency, Flow, Grammar, Importance, Multimedia, Role Model, Vagueness, and Vocabulary. Notably, there are qualitative and quantitative differences in the distribution of the frames between the groups of participants and controls. The results of the data analysis indicate that the distribution of the frames involves such variables as the approach towards speech fluency in EFL and the participants' view of their own speech fluency in EFL. Keywords: English as a Foreign Language (EFL), in-service teachers, primary school, speech fluency.[es] El encuadre de la fluidez del habla en inglés como lengua extranjera por parte de los maestros de escuela primaria Resumen. El artículo presenta un estudio de métodos mixtos sobre cómo los maestros de primaria en servicio enmarcan la fluidez del habla en inglés como lengua extranjera (EFL). A un grupo de 19 maestros de escuela primaria en activo (de ahora en adelante, "participantes") se les solicita que escriban ensayos reflexivos sobre el tema "Mi comprensión de la fluidez del habla en EFL". El corpus de los ensayos reflexivos de los participantes ha sido contrastado con los ensayos reflexivos escritos sobre el mismo tema por un grupo de control, compuesto por 19 maestros de primaria antes de prestar servicio activo de EFL. Los resultados del análisis revelan que los participantes enmarcan la fluidez del habla en EFL por los marcos Comunicación, Disfluencia, Flujo, Gramática, Importancia, Multimedia, Modelo de roles, Vaguedad y Vocabulario. En particular, existen diferencias cualitativas y cuantitativas en la distribución de los marcos entre los grupos de participantes y los controles. Los resultados del análisis de datos indican que la distribución de los marcos involucra variables tales como el enfoque hacia la fluidez del habla en lengua extranjera y la visión de los participantes de su propia fluidez en el EFL. Palabras clave: inglés como lengua extranjera (EFL), maestros en servicio activo, escuela primaria, fluidez del habla.

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Exploring the construct of interactional oral fluency: Second Language Acquisition and Language Testing approaches

Cited by 25 publications

References 67 publications

Fluency in Dialogue: Turn‐Taking Behavior Shapes Perceived Fluency in Native and Nonnative Speech

Fluency in Dialogue: Turn‐Taking Behavior Shapes Perceived Fluency in Native and Nonnative Speech

Assessing interactional skills in a paired speaking test

The Framing of Speech Fluency in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) by In-Service Primary School Teachers

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