Effectiveness of 4/3/2 Speaking Activities: Impacts on Student Learning

  • Rian Davis (Speaker)
  • Michael Delve (Speaker)
  • Lydia Eberly (Speaker)
  • Stringer, T. (Speaker)
  • Michael Wilkins (Speaker)

Activity: Talk or presentation typesPresentation

Description

Developing speaking fluency is a challenging goal for learners of English. Tasks have been designed to promote fluency, including the well-known 4/3/2 activity. Learners prepare a talk and speak for progressively shorter times. Repetition and time pressure are the proposed mechanisms of change. However, learners in contexts where English is a foreign language may initially struggle with this length of speaking. Adapted task designs such as a 2/3/4 pattern may be more appropriate. This presentation examines a quasi-experimental research study. The study investigated three questions: Did fluency training have an impact on ratings of fluency, was one task design more effective at promoting fluency, and what change did learners evaluate in their fluency? 70 undergraduate learners in English language courses in higher education in Japan participated. Pre and posttests were used as part of a multi-stage, mixed-methods design. The presenters will introduce the rationales, details, and rating method of the adapted tasks. Details of significant changes in fluency will be revealed. The presentation also describes how quantitative data informed later qualitative coding and analysis, uncovering learners' perceptions of the different task patterns. Finally, the presenters discuss both pedagogical and research implications.
Period14 May 2023
Event titlePanSIG 2023
Event typeConference
LocationKyoto, JapanShow on map
Degree of RecognitionInternational