Abstract
ABSTRACTIn vocabulary research there has been a shift from focusing on single words to considering multiword sequences, such as collocations. Despite the general consensus among language researchers that collocation is essential to effective language use in real-world communication, particularly oral communication, language-testing researchers have made little attempt to evaluate this language phenomenon in second language (L2) spoken discourse, nor is it common practice for speaking assessment criteria to embrace the concept. Following a review of three contemporary speech-processing theories and a logical analysis of the relationship between collocation and speech formulation, this article proposes a new construct called “spoken collocational competence” (SCC) to account for the observed collocation usage in naturally occurring L2 speech. It is suggested that SCC be measured in three dimensions (i.e., accuracy, complexity, and fluency), and empirical evidence for this construct is presented. Finally, the implications of SCC for automated speech evaluation are discussed.
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