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Part of
Methods in Study Abroad Research: Past, present, and future
Edited by Carmen Pérez-Vidal and Cristina Sanz
[Research Methods in Applied Linguistics 4] 2023
► pp. 183–207

Chapter 8
Oral fluency measures in study abroad research

| University of Barcelona
| University of Barcelona
| University of Barcelona
Measuring L2 speaking fluency is methodologically challenging. The current chapter critically evaluates measures of L2 speaking fluency and their limitations in study abroad (SA) research and offers new methodological directions based on current findings from L2 fluency research. The analysis of current methods in SA suggests researchers should move beyond the analysis of utterance and perceived fluency to include cognitive fluency in the assessment of oral development to gain a better understanding and a more comprehensive picture of SA effects on language development. In addition, we propose several methodological strategies that aim at improving the sensitivity and reliability of fluency measures in capturing the impact of SA on fluency development. Specifically, we highlight the need for expanding the range of elicitation methods to include dialogic speech, we recommend the use of L2-specific measures to control for learner variability in L1 speaking fluency, and we suggest the impact of socio-psychological and cognitive individual differences on L2 fluency development in study abroad be thoroughly investigated.
Keywords: L1 speaking fluency, L2 speaking fluency, oral fluency, cognitive fluency, speech processing, speech elicitation instruments, speech elicitation techniques, utterance fluency, perceived fluency, speaking fluency measures
Article outline
  • Introduction
    • What is speaking fluency, and how does it enhance our understanding of L2 acquisition?
    • How does speech production differ in L2 and L1?: In what ways is L2 speaking fluency different from L1 speaking fluency?
  • Measures of L2 speaking fluency in SA research
    • Elicitation techniques
    • Utterance fluency
    • Speed fluency
    • Breakdown fluency
    • Repair fluency
    • Perceived fluency
    • Cognitive fluency
  • Limitations and gaps
    • Elicitation techniques
    • Controlling for L1 speaking fluency
    • Controlling for individual differences
  • Strategies and guiding principles
  • Research ethics considerations
  • Conclusions
  • References
Published online: 3 February 2023
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/rmal.4.08mor
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