TY - JOUR

T1 - How does longitudinal interaction promote second language speech learning?

T2 - Roles of learner experience and proficiency levels

AU - Saito, K.

AU - Suzuki, S.

AU - Oyama, T.

AU - Akiyama, Y.

N1 - The final, definitive version of this article has been published in the Journal, Second Language Research, 37, 4 (2021), 2021, © SAGE Publications Ltd, 2019 by SAGE Publications Ltd at the Second Language Research page: https://journals.sagepub.com/home/slr on SAGE Journals Online: http://journals.sagepub.com/

PY - 2021/10/1

Y1 - 2021/10/1

N2 - This study examined how longitudinal interaction impacts the development of second language (L2) oral proficiency in relation to learners’ different experience and proficiency levels. Japanese learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) participated in weekly conversation exchanges with native speakers (NSs) in the USA via videoconferencing tools over one academic semester (12 weeks). The participants’ spontaneous speech, elicited from a story telling task before and after the treatment, was analysed via a set of linguistic measures. In line with the componential view of L2 oral proficiency and development, our results hinted L2 learners’ experience and proficiency levels as a mediating factor for determining the link between interaction and its impact on different dimensions of L2 speech learning. While the longitudinal interaction equally improved the participants’ grammatical complexity and articulation rate – a fundamental component for defining L2 oral proficiency – the development of less experienced/proficient learners was observed across a wide range of lexicogrammar and fluency features (lexical appropriateness/richness, grammatical accuracy, pause ratio). It was only more experienced/proficient learners that significantly enhanced phonological accuracies (segmentals, word stress) which are thought to gradually develop in the later stages of L2 speech learning. These findings add another piece of evidence for the differential effects of long-term interaction relative to L2 learners’ developmental stage

AB - This study examined how longitudinal interaction impacts the development of second language (L2) oral proficiency in relation to learners’ different experience and proficiency levels. Japanese learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) participated in weekly conversation exchanges with native speakers (NSs) in the USA via videoconferencing tools over one academic semester (12 weeks). The participants’ spontaneous speech, elicited from a story telling task before and after the treatment, was analysed via a set of linguistic measures. In line with the componential view of L2 oral proficiency and development, our results hinted L2 learners’ experience and proficiency levels as a mediating factor for determining the link between interaction and its impact on different dimensions of L2 speech learning. While the longitudinal interaction equally improved the participants’ grammatical complexity and articulation rate – a fundamental component for defining L2 oral proficiency – the development of less experienced/proficient learners was observed across a wide range of lexicogrammar and fluency features (lexical appropriateness/richness, grammatical accuracy, pause ratio). It was only more experienced/proficient learners that significantly enhanced phonological accuracies (segmentals, word stress) which are thought to gradually develop in the later stages of L2 speech learning. These findings add another piece of evidence for the differential effects of long-term interaction relative to L2 learners’ developmental stage

KW - computer assisted language learning

KW - feedback

KW - interaction

KW - second language speech

U2 - 10.1177/0267658319884981

DO - 10.1177/0267658319884981

M3 - Journal article

VL - 37

SP - 547

EP - 571

JO - Second Language Research

JF - Second Language Research

SN - 0267-6583

IS - 4

ER -