The importance of vocabulary when speaking is not only demonstrated in models of second language speech production and speaking proficiency but also reflected in rating criteria and assessment scales. The present study examined and compared micro-level lexical information in a speaking task from two complementary stakeholders' perspectives…

Second language (L2) utterance fluency is crucial for speaking proficiency assessment. The measurement of L2 utterance fluency relies heavily on silent pause identification. However, empirical studies establishing specific silent pause thresholds for L2 monologic speaking are scarce, and even fewer exist for L2 dialogic speaking. This study thus…

This paper explores what the measures of utterance fluency typically employed in Automatic Speech Evaluation (ASE), i.e. automated speaking assessments, tell us about oral proficiency. 60 Chinese learners of English completed the second part of the speaking section of IELTS and six tasks designed to measure the linguistic knowledge and processing…

This longitudinal study examines the effects of a pre-study abroad (SA) pedagogic intervention and subsequent SA experience on second language (L2) Mandarin fluency. It explores two temporal aspects of oral fluency--planning time and speech rate--along with one performance measure, duration of response. Additionally, L2 contact data were included…

The present study investigated the potential of writing in English as a foreign language (EFL) for language learning by manipulating cognitive task complexity based on related models and hypotheses. English essays written by 59 Chinese postgraduate EFL students from different subject areas were analysed with reference to writing complexity,…

This longitudinal study made the first attempt to employ Latent Growth Curve Modeling to analyze the development of L2 speaking accuracy and fluency through online scaffolding as well as the dynamic relationship between L2 speaking performance and self-efficacy. From the perspective of Complex Dynamic Systems Theory, it tracked the development of…

Previous studies have explored the roles of metacognitive instruction and collaborative writing, separately, in English writing. Little attention has been paid to students' writing complexity, accuracy, and fluency (CAF). The present study aims to bridge this gap through investigating integrated writing performances based on the linguistic…

Automatic Speech Scoring (ASS) has increasingly become a useful tool in oral proficiency testing for Second Language (L2) learners. However, limited studies investigate the alignment of ASS indices with the Complexity, Accuracy, and Fluency (CAF)--the three dimensions in evaluating L2 speakers' oral proficiency, and the subsequent impact indices…

The development of L2 utterance fluency has been extensively researched, whereas that of cognitive fluency has rarely been examined. This study investigated the longitudinal development of L2 utterance and cognitive fluency and their relationship. Thirty-one Chinese learners of English completed speaking tasks and a set of tasks for cognitive…

This study explores the application of the task-based teaching method in English education, particularly from the perspective of big data. Traditional English teaching models often fail to meet the diverse needs of students, with the task-based approach, despite being student-centered, encountering challenges such as task difficulty control and…

Amid globalization, the demand for English oral proficiency continues to grow. This study employs a quasi-experimental design to investigate the integration of an AI chatbot into the mobile-assisted blended learning (MABL) framework. It examines the impact of this approach on the spoken English abilities of Chinese non-English major university…

This study examines the effects of corrective feedback (CF) on language learners' writing anxiety, writing complexity, fluency, and accuracy, and compares the effectiveness of feedback from human teachers with an AI-driven application called Poe. The study included three intact classes, each with 25 language learners. Using a quasi-experimental…

Purpose: This study investigated the effects of an AR application (Civilisations AR) on EFL learners' oral proficiency in the dimensions of content, fluency, vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar, as well as their attitudes and perceptions toward AR technology. Design: Utilizing a quasi-experiment, twenty-four EFL learners engaged in a…

The role of practice has been largely overlooked in second/foreign (L2) pragmatics research. Furthermore, very few studies have directly compared the effects of different "practice contexts" (e.g. practice in a telecollaborative context versus practice in a face-to-face context) on L2 learners' pragmatic competence (e.g. in compliment…

This study explored the impacts of translingual practices on English as an additional language (EAL) writing education in a non-English as a medium of instruction (non-EMI) context at a Chinese university. The findings highlighted the benefits of translingual practices in enhancing students' comprehension, easing cognitive challenges, and…