L2 development during study abroad in China

Keywords

L2 Chinese development, fluency, study abroad

Abstract

This study analyzed L2 Chinese development in regards to fluency, tonal accuracy, vocabulary acquisition, and task fulfillment during a study abroad (SA) program in China. Tonal accuracy has not been investigated in previous SA research, which has focused largely on non-tonal languages. Furthermore, task fulfillment, a metric linked to L2 proficiency and linguistic ability has not been included in previous SA research either. Twenty-two L2 learners of Chinese completed Simulated Oral Proficiency Interviews (SOPIs) before and after SA. These SOPI recordings were analyzed for a series of fluency measures (speech rate, filled pauses, unfilled pauses, and mean pause length), tonal accuracy percentages, type-token ratios, and task fulfillment. Mixed linear model analyses of these repeated measures showed that, when compared to participants' pre-test scores, their post-test scores showed significant improvement for tonal accuracy, vocabulary development, and task fulfillment as well as for all measures of fluency, showing a faster speech rate and shorter pauses.

Original Publication Citation

Kim, J., Dewey, D. P., Baker Smemoe, W., Ring, S., Westover, A., & Eggett, D. (2015). L2 development during study abroad in China. System: An International Journal of Educational Technology and Applied Linguistics, 55, 123-133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2015.10.005

Document Type

Peer-Reviewed Article

Publication Date

2015-12

Publisher

Elsevier Ltd

Language

English

College

Humanities

Department

Linguistics

University Standing at Time of Publication

Full Professor

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