Seminar in SL Acquisition: L2 Fluency
The construct of fluency has been variable in its definition (Chambers, 1997). While some people may use fluency interchangeably with proficiency (i.e., a fluent speaker is a proficient speaker), others emphasize the rate and degree of fluidity of speech (Derwing & Munro, 2015). In this research-oriented course, we will consider the construct of fluency in second language (L2) speech in reference to three senses discussed in Segalowitz (2010):
- Cognitive (i.e., the cognitive processes responsible for performing a speech act)
- Utterance (i.e., the use of measurable temporal features to characterize the fluidity of observable speech)
- Perceived (i.e., the subjective judgments of L2 speakers’ oral fluency)
Given the range of definitions and operationalizations of L2 fluency, we will additionally consider the empirical works of a range of prominent L2 fluency scholars such as Derwing, De Jong, Freed, Kormos, and Skehan, all of who have consider fluency from different perspectives