Investigation on Research Knowledge Map and Frontier Development of College Spoken English in China based on CiteSpace Analyses of Literature

Abstract

With the help of CiteSpace, this study analyzed the knowledge base, research hotspots, research frontiers and development trends of EFL (English as a Foreign Language) speaking research in China from the aspects of cited literature and cited author, key words, bursts and co-author. In terms of knowledge base, the studies of cited authors such as Wen Qiufang represent classic work, namely CSP teaching. Frontier development has changed from the theoretical basis to the empirical research, that is, from oral teaching to ability training, and then to technical assistance, ability evaluation and so on. The newer frontier is the measurement and evaluation of Spoken English, especially for College spoken English (CSP). However, there are still some problems in the research including insufficient attention from scholars, short duration of research, and weak cooperative relationship. The improvement in these aspects will greatly promote the development of relevant research in the direction of depth and breadth.