<p>The theory underlying L2 oral fluency has focused on
cognitive processes, particularly proceduralization (Anderson, 1983; Levelt,
1989, 1999) and linguistic constructs, especially vocabulary and grammar
(Segalowitz, 2010). Towell, Hawkins, and Bazergui (1996) argued that
development of formulaic language enables automatic speech production. However,
no research has studied the longitudinal development of L2 oral fluency
concurrently with any of the following lexical variables: lexical frequency
profile, formulaic language use, and MTLD (a measure of lexical diversity). The
purpose of the present study is to clarify the process by which L2 oral
fluency, syntax, and vocabulary develop concurrently.</p>
<p>Data analysis involved three sequential phases: oral fluency
analysis, lexico-syntactic analysis, and discourse analysis. Oral fluency
measures were calculated using the transcribed oral test responses of 100
L1-Chinese EAP learners at the beginning and end of a required two-course EAP
language and culture sequence at Purdue University. The task completed was a
computer-administered, two-minute argumentative speaking task. This study
included eight oral fluency measures: speech rate, mean length of speech run,
articulation rate, phonation time ratio, mean length of silent pause, mean
length of filled pause, silent pause frequency, and filled pause frequency. For
the ten participants who made the largest percentage-wise oral fluency gains
(in terms of the oral fluency variable associated with the largest effect size
of gains), oral transcripts were analyzed to compute descriptive statistics for
the three lexical variables mentioned above and three syntactic variables: coordinate clause ratio, dependent clause
ratio, and words per T-unit. </p>
Results indicated significant change in all oral fluency measures,
except mean length of silent pause and mean length of filled pause. The largest
gains were made in mean length of speech run. Of the linguistic variables, the
largest longitudinal change was associated with coordinate clause ratio.
Discourse analysis of the transcripts of large fluency gainers' pre-post
responses suggested that large fluency gainers used coordinate clauses to build
more sophisticated discourse models in the post-test response than they did in
the pre-test response. Implications for L2 oral fluency theory, EAP pedagogy,
and L2 oral assessment are discussed.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:purdue.edu/oai:figshare.com:article/12197967 |
| Date | 27 April 2020 |
| Creators | David C Crouch (8767758) |
| Source Sets | Purdue University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, Thesis |
| Rights | CC BY 4.0 |
| Relation | https://figshare.com/articles/Pre-Post_Change_in_L2_Oral_Fluency_the_Lexico-Syntax_of_Large_Fluency_Gainers/12197967 |
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