Self-correction and Self-correction and Fluency in ESL Speaking Fluency in ESL Speaking

DevelopmentDevelopmentNel de Jong, Dawn E. McCormick, Nel de Jong, Dawn E. McCormick,

M. Christine O’Neill, Claire Bradin SiskinM. Christine O’Neill, Claire Bradin Siskin

University of PittsburghUniversity of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh Science of Learning CenterPittsburgh Science of Learning Center

April 24, 2007

OverviewOverview1. Speaking classes: background2. Self-Correction: Recorded Speaking

Activity (RSA) Software Study

3. Fluency: 4/3/2 task Software Study

4. Conclusions: CALL and L2 speaking development

1. Speaking Classes1. Speaking ClassesEnglish Language InstituteEnglish Language Institute

University of PittsburghUniversity of Pittsburgh

Levels of the ELILevels of the ELI

Level 2Level 2 High-High-beginningbeginning

MTELP: 33-44 (0-100)MTELP: 33-44 (0-100)

ELI Listening Test: 6-9 (0-30)ELI Listening Test: 6-9 (0-30)

ELI Writing Sample: 1 (1-5)ELI Writing Sample: 1 (1-5)

Level 3Level 3 Low-Low-intermediateintermediate

MTELP: 45-59MTELP: 45-59

ELI Listening Test:10-17ELI Listening Test:10-17

ELI Writing Sample: 2ELI Writing Sample: 2

Level 4Level 4 High-High-intermediateintermediate

MTELP: 60-79MTELP: 60-79

ELI Listening Test: 18-23ELI Listening Test: 18-23

ELI Writing Sample: 3ELI Writing Sample: 3

Level 5Level 5 AdvancedAdvanced MTELP: 80-100MTELP: 80-100

ELI Listening Test: 24-30ELI Listening Test: 24-30

ELI Writing Sample: 4-5ELI Writing Sample: 4-5

Student InformationStudent Information

L1s L1s include:include:

GenderGender Age Age RangeRange

English English Language Language LearningLearning

ArabicArabic

KoreanKorean

ChineseChinese

Japanese Japanese Turkish Turkish RussianRussian

SpanishSpanish

F: 49.4%F: 49.4%

M: 50.6%M: 50.6%

16-6616-66 <1yr: 11%<1yr: 11%

1-2 yrs: 13%1-2 yrs: 13%

3-5 yrs: 19%3-5 yrs: 19%

>5 yrs: 56% >5 yrs: 56%

General Speaking GoalsGeneral Speaking Goals

Use English to engage in discussions in personal, professional, and academic contextsUse English to conduct transactions in personal, professional, and academic contextsUse English to make presentations in professional and academic contextsDevelop self-correction skills and language learning strategies

2. Self-Correction:2. Self-Correction:Recorded Speaking Activity Recorded Speaking Activity

(RSA)(RSA)

RSA Software: ProceduresRSA Software: Procedures

Students record Students record Students transcribeStudents transcribeStudents take notes Students take notes on errorson errorsStudents speak Students speak correctionscorrections(RSA #1 and #2),(RSA #1 and #2),or rerecord sample or rerecord sample (RSA #3)(RSA #3)Teacher provides Teacher provides feedbackfeedbackStudents take notes Students take notes on teacher feedbackon teacher feedback

Demo of the student versionDemo of the student version

QuickTime™ and aSorenson Video decompressorare needed to see this picture.

RSA: Role in Speaking RSA: Role in Speaking CurriculumCurriculum

Increase students’ Increase students’ involvement in the learning in the learning processprocessIncrease students’ Increase students’ awareness of individual of individual errorserrorsIncrease students’ ability to Increase students’ ability to monitor and self-correct spoken language spoken languageProvide a starting point from which students Provide a starting point from which students could devise language learning strategies to could devise language learning strategies to increase language increase language accuracy and and appropriateness of language useappropriateness of language useProvide additional Provide additional assessment data for the for the teacherteacher

RSA Study: Research QuestionsRSA Study: Research Questions

What errors are students able to identify within given proficiency levels (high-beginning, low-intermediate, high-intermediate, advanced)? across levels?

Of the errors identified by students, what errors are they able to self-correct within given proficiency levels (high-beginning, low-intermediate, high-intermediate, advanced)? across levels?

Can students use a self-correction learning event to immediately improve spoken production accuracy?

Data Example Level 4Data Example Level 4on halloween, i hung out

with my friend i gave candy for children. so i saw lots of weird charecter like which and ghost. i think people dressed on costume. i think people only dressde up as a weird chareter but some people dressed up on cute charecter like bunny girls and i saw a couple wearing a nurse and a doctor.

like which and like which and ghost>like a which ghost>like a which and a ghostand a ghosti think people i think people dressed on dressed on costum>people costum>people drssed on a costum drssed on a costum on halloweenon halloweendressed up on dressed up on cute> dressed up cute> dressed up on a cute charecter. on a cute charecter. wearing a nurse> wearing a nurse> dressed up as a dressed up as a nursenurse

Preliminary ObservationsPreliminary Observations

1. All levels able to identify and self-correct to some degree

2. Students able to identify and correct errors in the areas of grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary

RSA and SLA ConnectionsRSA and SLA Connections

The RSA acts as a tool to promote the The RSA acts as a tool to promote the metalinguistic (reflective) function of output as metalinguistic (reflective) function of output as described by Swain (2005) through ‘collaboration described by Swain (2005) through ‘collaboration with self’with self’

The transcription component of the RSA is a tool The transcription component of the RSA is a tool to facilitate noticing in output (Lynch, 2001; 2005)to facilitate noticing in output (Lynch, 2001; 2005)

RSAs provide learners with the “time and RSAs provide learners with the “time and opportunity for self-initiated, self-completed repair opportunity for self-initiated, self-completed repair of their messages” (Shehadeh, 2001, p. 451)of their messages” (Shehadeh, 2001, p. 451)

3. Fluency development:

The 4/3/2 task

What is oral fluency?What is oral fluency?

The rapid, smooth, accurate, lucid, and The rapid, smooth, accurate, lucid, and efficient translation of thought or efficient translation of thought or communicative intention into language communicative intention into language under the temporal constraints of on-line under the temporal constraints of on-line processing processing (Lennon, 2000)(Lennon, 2000)

Fluency in broad vs. narrow senseFluency in broad vs. narrow sense

Related to accuracy and complexityRelated to accuracy and complexity

Many studies on immersion and study Many studies on immersion and study abroadabroad

but what can we do in the classroom?

4/3/2 Software: Procedures4/3/2 Software: Procedures

Talk about a topic for 4 minutesRetell in 3 minutesRetell in 2 minutes

Increases fluency, accuracy and complexity.Increases fluency, accuracy and complexity.Students cannot repeat verbatim, but can benefit Students cannot repeat verbatim, but can benefit from recently having generated semantic content, from recently having generated semantic content, and having selected vocabulary and syntactic and having selected vocabulary and syntactic constructions constructions (Maurice, 1983; Nation, 1989)(Maurice, 1983; Nation, 1989)

Computerized version: individual, no pair workComputerized version: individual, no pair work

Preparation: Take notesPreparation: Take notes

Speaking: 4, 3 or 2 minutesSpeaking: 4, 3 or 2 minutes

4/3/2 Study: Research Questions4/3/2 Study: Research Questions

1. Does repetition of a short speech increase fluency?

Repetition (1 topic) vs. No Repetition (3 topics)

2. If so: Which components of fluency are affected?

Proceduralization Speed (articulation rate)

Is it a long-term effect?

Fluency and ProceduralizationFluency and Proceduralization

Proceduralization leads to higher fluency, because students can more easily construct longer and more complex sentences (Towell,

Hawkins & Bazergui, 1996): Mean Length of Fluent Run: increase Mean Length of Pause: stable or decrease Phonation/Time Ratio: stable or increase

Articulation rate: number of syllables per minute

ProcedureProcedure

Repetition vs. No Repetition conditionRepetition vs. No Repetition condition

Three training sessions of 4/3/2 techniqueThree training sessions of 4/3/2 technique

Tests: RSAs about different topicsTests: RSAs about different topics Pretest: 3-4 days before trainingPretest: 3-4 days before training Immediate posttest: week after trainingImmediate posttest: week after training Delayed posttest: 3.5 weeks after trainingDelayed posttest: 3.5 weeks after training

RSA#1RSA#1 4/3/24/3/2 4/3/24/3/2 4/3/24/3/2 RSA#2RSA#2 RSA#3RSA#3

Section 4MSection 4M Sep 25Sep 25 Sep 28Sep 28 Oct 5Oct 5 Oct 12Oct 12 Oct 19Oct 19 Nov 6Nov 6

Section 4PSection 4P Sep 22Sep 22 Sep 26Sep 26 Oct 3Oct 3 Oct 10Oct 10 Oct 17Oct 17 Nov 3Nov 3

Participants 4/3/2 studyParticipants 4/3/2 study

Level 4: advanced intermediateLevel 4: advanced intermediate

Randomly assignedRandomly assigned

19 students19 students

19-37 yrs (mean 25 yrs)19-37 yrs (mean 25 yrs)

L1s: Arabic, Chinese, Korean, otherL1s: Arabic, Chinese, Korean, other

Preliminary ResultsPreliminary Results

Pause = filled or unfilled; uh and um counted as pause

Pro

cedu

raliz

atio

n

No Repetition No Repetition (n=10)(n=10)

RepetitionRepetition(n=9)(n=9)

PrePre Post1Post1 Post2Post2 PrePre Post1Post1 Post2Post2

Fluent runs (syll.)Fluent runs (syll.) 4.264.26 4.054.05 4.724.72 4.974.97

Pause length*Pause length* 1.121.12 1.111.11 1.191.19 .95.95

Phon/time ratio*Phon/time ratio* .57.57 .55.55 .56.56 .62.62

Syllables per Syllables per minuteminute

197197 194194 192192 191191

Preliminary ResultsPreliminary Results

Pause = filled or unfilled; uh and um counted as pause

Pro

cedu

raliz

atio

n

No Repetition No Repetition (n=10)(n=10)

RepetitionRepetition(n=9)(n=9)

PrePre Post1Post1 Post2Post2 PrePre Post1Post1 Post2Post2

Fluent runs (syll.)Fluent runs (syll.) 4.264.26 4.054.05 4.264.26 4.724.72 4.974.97 4.754.75

Pause length*Pause length* 1.121.12 1.111.11 .99.99 1.191.19 .95.95 1.011.01

Phon/time ratio*Phon/time ratio* .57.57 .55.55 .56.56 .56.56 .62.62 .60.60

Syllables per Syllables per minuteminute

197197 194194 204204 192192 191191 199199

SummarySummary

Some evidence for proceduralizationSome evidence for proceduralization

Markers of fluency in Repetition condition:Markers of fluency in Repetition condition: shorter pauses more speech (verbosity) with stable length of fluent runs

No Repetition condition catches up on No Repetition condition catches up on delayed posttestdelayed posttest

Open questionsOpen questions

How does 4/3/2 affect accuracy and How does 4/3/2 affect accuracy and complexity?complexity?

What is being proceduralized?What is being proceduralized?

What is the role of specific types of What is the role of specific types of language knowledge and processing language knowledge and processing mechanisms in fluency?mechanisms in fluency?

4. Conclusions: CALL and 4. Conclusions: CALL and L2 speaking developmentL2 speaking development

CALL contribution toCALL contribution toL2 speaking developmentL2 speaking development

For students:For students: individual feedback time to reflect on performance more speaking time per student improvement in self-correction and fluency

For teachers: streamlining the process of For teachers: streamlining the process of collecting speech samples and giving collecting speech samples and giving feedbackfeedback

CALL contribution toCALL contribution toL2 speaking researchL2 speaking research

In vivoIn vivo experimentation: Controlled data experimentation: Controlled data collection in real classroomscollection in real classrooms External validityExternal validity Long-term retentionLong-term retention Diverse participantsDiverse participants Data lossData loss Need for fit with speaking curricula of language Need for fit with speaking curricula of language

institute, e.g., course objectives, language lab institute, e.g., course objectives, language lab availabilityavailability

Streamlined data collectionStreamlined data collection

Many thanks to:Many thanks to:

Prof. A. JuffsProf. C.A. PerfettiThe students and teachers at the ELIPittsburgh Science of Learning Center

Please direct questions to Nel de Jong (ndjong@pitt.edu) or

Dawn E. McCormick (mccormic@pitt.edu)

This work was supported in part by the Pittsburgh Science of Learning Center, which is funded by the National Science Foundation award number SBE-0354420.

ReferencesReferencesLynch, T. (2001), Seeing what they meant: Transcribing as a route to

noticing. ELT Journal, 55 (2), 124-132.Lynch, T. (2005). Self-transcribing and noticing in EAP speaking

classes. Edinburgh Working Papers in Applied Linguistics, 14, 54-67.Lennon, P. (2000). Investigating Fluency in EFL: A Quantitative

Approach. Language Learning, 40 (3), 387-417.Maurice, K. (1983). The fluency workshop. TESOL Newsletter, 17, 429.Nation, P. (1989). Improving speaking fluency. System, 17(3), 377-384.Shehadeh, A. (2001). Self- and other-initiated modified output during

task-based interaction. TESOL Quarterly, 35 (3), 433-457.Swain, M. (2005). The output hypothesis: Theory and research. In E.

Hinkel (Ed.), Handbook on research in second language teaching and learning (pp. 471-484). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Towell, R., Hawkins, R., & Bazergui, N. (1996). The development of fluency in advanced learners of French. Applied Linguistics, 17(1), 84-119.

Extra slides …Extra slides …

RSA: Accuracy andRSA: Accuracy andSelf-correctionSelf-correction

AccuracyAccuracy Grammar - target structures from speaking class as Grammar - target structures from speaking class as

well as level-appropriate structureswell as level-appropriate structures Pronunciation - target segmentals and Pronunciation - target segmentals and

suprasegmentals as well as errors that interfere with suprasegmentals as well as errors that interfere with interlocutor comprehensioninterlocutor comprehension

Vocabulary - target words and level-appropriate Vocabulary - target words and level-appropriate words; word choice and word formwords; word choice and word form

Self-correction - identification and correction of Self-correction - identification and correction of incorrect formsincorrect forms

RSA Topics Fall 2006RSA Topics Fall 2006

PretestPretest: How do you feel about pets?: How do you feel about pets?

PosttestPosttest: Talk about a person who was : Talk about a person who was very important to you in the past.very important to you in the past.

Delayed posttestDelayed posttest: What is the biggest : What is the biggest problem your country is facing today?problem your country is facing today?

Current and Future ResearchCurrent and Future Research

Do higher-proficiency students benefit Do higher-proficiency students benefit more or less from the 4/3/2 training than more or less from the 4/3/2 training than lower-proficiency students?lower-proficiency students?

Does a pretraining of Does a pretraining of formulaic formulaic sequencessequences help students produce more help students produce more fluent speech during and after the 4/3/2 fluent speech during and after the 4/3/2 training? training? (Nattinger & DeCarrico, 1992)(Nattinger & DeCarrico, 1992)

Formulaic SequencesFormulaic Sequences

The point is that …The point is that …The first thing is that …The first thing is that …Take something like …Take something like …That’s not all. …That’s not all. …It seems to me that …It seems to me that …

Nattinger & DeCarrico (1992)Nattinger & DeCarrico (1992)