Exploring a Reading-Based Speaking Task for Developing Fluency in an EFL University Setting
pp.169-195
The present study explored a reading-based speaking task for its potential to develop EFL students' fluency. Based on an L1 speaking model by Levelt (1989, 1993), the task was developed in a way that students can maximize their fluency in a scaffolding-rich condition: one in the stage of message generation and the other in linguistic encoding. The use of reading texts for the development of speaking fluency was also hypothesized to induce authentic interaction among interlocutors. How the reading-based speaking task functions as hypothesized was tested with five Korean college students who participated in a 4-week reading-based speaking program. The analysis of the group activity transcripts and interviews revealed that scaffolding in message generation took place in three types of language episode: a personal experience episode, a vocabulary-related episode, and a contentclarification/ elaboration episode. Linguistic encoding in L2 speaking was scaffolded via shared context, which enabled the participants to develop and utilize a paraphrasing skill. Finally, the participants’ engagement in speaking activities increased, affecting their willingness to communicate and their motivation to improve speaking.
II. Literature Review
1. Cognitive Analysis of L1 Speaking: Levelt’s Model for Language Production
2. Cognitive Analysis of L2 Speaking
3. Reading-Based Speaking Activities
III. Methodology
1. Research Setting and Participants
2. Procedure of Reading-Based Speaking Activity
3. Procedure of Debate Activity
4. Data Collection and Analysis
IV. Findings
1. Scaffolding in Message Generation
2. Scaffolding in Linguistic Encoding
3. Authentic Interaction
V. Discussion & Conclusion
References