Investigating Multiword Sequence and Speaking Fluency Influences in High-stakes Assessments
| Project/Area Number |
22K00700
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Review Section |
Basic Section 02100:Foreign language education-related
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| Research Institution | Hiroshima University |
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Principal Investigator |
Hougham Daniel 広島大学, 外国語教育研究センター, 准教授 (10829352)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
CLENTON JONATHAN 広島大学, 人間社会科学研究科(総), 准教授 (80762434)
内原 卓海 東北大学, 国際文化研究科, 講師 (10905847)
Higginbotham George 叡啓大学, ソーシャルシステムデザイン学部, 准教授 (20885090)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2022-04-01 – 2025-03-31
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| Project Status |
Granted (Fiscal Year 2023)
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| Budget Amount *help |
¥4,160,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥960,000)
Fiscal Year 2024: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000)
Fiscal Year 2023: ¥2,080,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥480,000)
Fiscal Year 2022: ¥910,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥210,000)
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| Keywords | multi-word sequences / lexical bundles / learner-corpus research / oral fluency / oral proficiency / multiple regression / random forests analysis / dominance analysis / multiword sequences / learner corpus research / Oral fluency / Multiword sequences / Vocabulary / Testing / High-stakes assessments |
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| Outline of Research at the Start |
The present study partially replicates and builds on Tavakoli and Uchihara (2019) with analyses of longer (four-word) sequences and a larger sample size (N = 200+) across a broader range of proficiency levels. We intend to explore the extent to which MWS use (proportion, frequency, and association) is associated with oral fluency measures (speed, breakdown, and repair) across different academic disciplines and proficiency levels (IELTS levels 5.5-7.5). We also explore how MWS usage varies in terms of function by detailing which MWSs are needed at specific IELTS proficiency levels.
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
We have completed the second phase of analyzing the relationship between lexical bundle (LB) use and oral fluency. We identified 119 frequent LBs, mostly three- and four-word units. One-way ANOVAs indicated significant differences in four LB measures across proficiency levels (IELTS 6.5-7.5). Employing robust regression, dominance analysis, and random forests, we found that bigram mutual information (MI) strongly predicts higher proficiency levels. We also discovered that longer LBs enhance speed fluency and reduce mid-clause pauses, highlighting their unique processing efficiencies. Conversely, shorter LBs, particularly those with high mutual information scores, subtly yet positively influence articulation rates and reduce speech repairs, highlighting their key role in fluency dynamics.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
3: Progress in research has been slightly delayed.
Reason
To date, we have presented our results at seven international conferences, including the recent Vocab@Vic. We published a pilot study in a top-tier journal and have two manuscripts currently under review. We have also collected additional data which will allow us to conduct new analyses across five proficiency levels, bringing our total sample size to upwards of 180 participants. However, the increase in participants was less than expected, with fewer at the lowest and highest levels compared to the middle levels. Having been busy with manuscript writing, we have not yet processed our additional data for fluency measurements.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
In our future research, we plan to: (a) Collect additional data at the lowest and highest levels (IELTS 6 and 8), in order to balance our groups for more robust analyses across five proficiency levels. Our next data collection is tentatively scheduled for September 2024; (b) Investigate the LB-fluency relationship with a larger sample size across five proficiency levels (IELTS 6–8); (c) Explore additional quantitative analyses (e.g., potential influence of L1 background on LB usage and proficiency scores); (d) Explore qualitative analyses (e.g., presentation topics; LB usage variation based on functional classification); (e) Present at Vocab@Vic 2025 (in Maryland, USA); (f) Prepare an additional manuscript for submission to another top-tier journal.
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Report
(2 results)
Research Products
(8 results)
