Does Measuring L2 Utterance Fluency Equal Measuring Overall L2 Proficiency? Evidence From Five Languages

The current study examined the relationship between overall second language (L2) proficiency and utterance fluency measures for several L2s in order to determine whether utterance measures can be used to predict L2 proficiency. The study measured the speech rate, number of hesitations, number and le...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Foreign language annals 2014-12, Vol.47 (4), p.707-728
Main Authors: Baker-Smemoe, Wendy, Dewey, Dan P., Bown, Jennifer, Martinsen, Rob A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accuracy
Arabic language
assessment
Attention Control
Cognitive Processes
Correlation
English
English as a second language
Fluency
foreign/second language learning/acquisition
French
German
German language
High Stakes Tests
Interviews
Japanese
Japanese language
Language
Language Fluency
Language Proficiency
Language Tests
Literature Reviews
Measures (Individuals)
Native Speakers
Oral Language
oral proficiency (OPI and OPIc)
Oral Proficiency Testing
Pauses
proficiency
quantitative research
Rating Scales
Researchers
Russian
Russian language
Second Language Learning
Semitic Languages
Short Term Memory
Speech
Speech rate
Statistical Analysis
Studies
Teaching Methods
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Summary:The current study examined the relationship between overall second language (L2) proficiency and utterance fluency measures for several L2s in order to determine whether utterance measures can be used to predict L2 proficiency. The study measured the speech rate, number of hesitations, number and length of pauses, number and length of runs, and number of false starts using excerpts from 126 ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interviews (OPIs) spoken by 86 participants. Forty of the participants provided pre‐ and post‐OPI speech samples, which also allowed examination of changes over time. All 86 participants were native English speakers who spoke L2 French, German, Japanese, Arabic, or Russian. They ranged in proficiency from Novice Mid to Superior. Results suggested that some L2 utterance fluency measures correlated significantly with overall L2 proficiency for all L2s, but data also revealed some differences across L2s. These differences hinged partly on the L2's relative difficulty for native English speakers. Results suggested that it might be feasible to use specific fluency measures to estimate proficiency, in particular at higher levels, but that fine‐grained sublevel estimates would not be recommended, in particular at the Novice and Intermediate levels.
ISSN:0015-718X
1944-9720
DOI:10.1111/flan.12110