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Fluency Development in an EFL Setting: A One-Semester Study

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Title: Fluency Development in an EFL Setting: A One-Semester Study
Language: English
Authors: Timothy Doe (ORCID 0000-0002-6675-1961)
Source: Language Teaching Research. 2025 29(1):363-384.
Availability: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 22
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Language Fluency, English (Second Language), Second Language Learning, Second Language Instruction, Grammar, Accuracy, Learning Processes, Student Improvement, Speech Communication, Foreign Countries, Undergraduate Students, Conversational Language Courses, Language Tests
Geographic Terms: Japan
DOI: 10.1177/13621688211058520
ISSN: 1362-1688
1477-0954
Abstract: Language learning activities involving time-pressured repetition of similar content have been shown to facilitate improvements in fluency. However, concerns have been voiced about whether these gains might be offset by reduced levels of grammatical accuracy. This descriptive study tracked the oral proficiency of 32 Japanese university students enrolled in English as a foreign language (EFL) classes over one academic semester during which they regularly completed 3/2/1 fluency development activities. Measures of complexity, accuracy, and fluency (CAF) were analysed to investigate whether any developmental patterns could be identified. The results indicated that over the semester, the students made small, but significant gains in two fluency measures, the mean length of pause and the phonation/time ratio. Despite the relatively small size of the gains, expert ratings of perceived fluency suggested that these fluency improvements were detectable to the human ear. Furthermore, a significant relationship emerged between three of the four CAF measures over the semester. These results suggest that the activities moderately impacted students' speaking fluency without negatively affecting accuracy or complexity levels; however, further longitudinal research is needed to determine which factors might influence this development, as class performance measures did not account for any of the variation detected.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: EJ1455497
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Language+Fluency%22">Language Fluency</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22English+%28Second+Language%29%22">English (Second Language)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Second+Language+Learning%22">Second Language Learning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Second+Language+Instruction%22">Second Language Instruction</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grammar%22">Grammar</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Accuracy%22">Accuracy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Learning+Processes%22">Learning Processes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Improvement%22">Student Improvement</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Speech+Communication%22">Speech Communication</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Undergraduate+Students%22">Undergraduate Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Conversational+Language+Courses%22">Conversational Language Courses</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Language+Tests%22">Language Tests</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Japan%22">Japan</searchLink>
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  Data: 10.1177/13621688211058520
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  Data: 1362-1688<br />1477-0954
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
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  Data: Language learning activities involving time-pressured repetition of similar content have been shown to facilitate improvements in fluency. However, concerns have been voiced about whether these gains might be offset by reduced levels of grammatical accuracy. This descriptive study tracked the oral proficiency of 32 Japanese university students enrolled in English as a foreign language (EFL) classes over one academic semester during which they regularly completed 3/2/1 fluency development activities. Measures of complexity, accuracy, and fluency (CAF) were analysed to investigate whether any developmental patterns could be identified. The results indicated that over the semester, the students made small, but significant gains in two fluency measures, the mean length of pause and the phonation/time ratio. Despite the relatively small size of the gains, expert ratings of perceived fluency suggested that these fluency improvements were detectable to the human ear. Furthermore, a significant relationship emerged between three of the four CAF measures over the semester. These results suggest that the activities moderately impacted students' speaking fluency without negatively affecting accuracy or complexity levels; however, further longitudinal research is needed to determine which factors might influence this development, as class performance measures did not account for any of the variation detected.
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        Value: 10.1177/13621688211058520
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 22
        StartPage: 363
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Language Fluency
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: English (Second Language)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Second Language Learning
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      – SubjectFull: Second Language Instruction
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      – SubjectFull: Grammar
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      – SubjectFull: Accuracy
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      – SubjectFull: Learning Processes
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      – SubjectFull: Student Improvement
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      – SubjectFull: Speech Communication
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      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
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      – SubjectFull: Conversational Language Courses
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      – SubjectFull: Language Tests
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      – SubjectFull: Japan
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      – TitleFull: Fluency Development in an EFL Setting: A One-Semester Study
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