Fluent Speech in Second Language and its Associated Varying Perceptions
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Date
2016-05
Authors
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Publisher
The Ohio State University
Abstract
From the language teaching and learning aspects, the definition of fluency in second language oral proficiency is multi-faceted, and a clearly defined meaning does not exist. This is problematic when it comes to assessment of L2 learners’ speech competence, specifically speech assessment rubrics, because the judgement of fluency can then become subjective. In this paper, I examine elements of fluent speech and seek a solution to improve the definition of the fluency concept in L2 learning. First, I examine the current literature which demonstrates that no clear definition exists for the fluency concept, based on the definitions of fluency by various authors. I then discuss the results of two online studies which aimed to define fluency based on the perspectives of students and instructors of German. These studies confirmed that while a general meaning can be formed from the perspectives of students and instructors, a concise definition is yet to be created and further research must be done in order to come to a more concrete, widely used and accepted meaning. In addition, I suggest that speech assessment rubrics may be improved by creating sub-categories within the fluency assessment category to better reflect the multi-faceted fluency concept.
Description
2016 Denman Undergraduate Research Winner. Fourth Place.
Keywords
Linguistics, Second language acquisition, Fluency, Developing Fluency, Second language instruction, German language