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Aspects of Fluency Across Assessed Levels of Speaking Proficiency

Bibliographic Data

ID21360366
AuthorsParvaneh Tavakoli (0000-0003-0807-3709, University of Reading Room 209B, Edith Morley, Whiteknights Reading RG6 6UR UK, corresponding author), Fumiyo Nakatsuhara (0000-0002-0429-7417, University of Bedfordshire CRELLA, Room 118, Putteridge Bury Campus, Hitchin Road Luton LU2 8LE UK, corresponding author), Ann-Marie Hunter (University of Leeds, corresponding author), ANN–MARIE HUNTER (University of Leeds School of Education Hilary Place Leeds LS2 9JT UK)
Year2020
Volume104
Issue1
Pages169-191
Publication date2020-03-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueModern Language Journal (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0026-7902 • E-ISSN: 1540-4781
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/modl.12620
OpenAlexW2964357634
LanguageEN
Citations received42
References cited47

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

Cognitive psychology · Construct (python library) · Fluency · Language proficiency · Linguistics · Mathematics education · Utterance · Computer Science · EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning · Phonetics and Phonology Research · Psychology · Second Language Acquisition and Learning

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Unique citing works42
Citations per year7
Citation span2020 - 2026 (7)
Citation velocitycurrent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 42

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