Relating Lexical Access and Second Language Speaking Performance

Yu Liu

doi:10.3390/languages5020013

Abstract

Vocabulary plays a key role in speech production, affecting multiple stages of language processing. This pilot study investigates the relationships between second language (L2) learners’ lexical access and their speaking fluency, speaking accuracy, and speaking complexity. Fifteen L2 learners of Chinese participated in the experiment. A task-specific, native-referenced vocabulary test was used to measure learners’ vocabulary size and lexical retrieval speed. Learners’ speaking performance was measured by thirteen variables. The results showed that lexical access was significantly correlated with learners’ speech rate, lexical accuracy, syntactic accuracy, and lexical complexity. Vocabulary size and lexical retrieval speed were significant predictors of speech rate. However, vocabulary size and lexical retrieval speed each affected learners’ speaking performance differently. Learners’ speaking fluency, accuracy, and complexity were all affected by vocabulary size. No significant correlation was found between lexical retrieval speed and syntactic complexity. Findings in this study support the Model of Bilingual Speech Production, revealing the significant role lexical access plays in L2 speech production.

Highlights

Vocabulary is fundamental for second language learning
In view of the important role that lexical access plays in second language speech production (Kormos 2006), this study aims at exploring the dynamics between L2 learners’ lexical access, measured by vocabulary size and lexical retrieval speed, and three dimensions of their speaking performance: Fluency, accuracy, and complexity
The results in this study revealed that task-specific lexical access was closely related to all three dimensions of L2 speech: Fluency, accuracy, and complexity, though it is mainly on the lexical level

Summary

Introduction

Vocabulary is fundamental for second language learning. Vocabulary knowledge has been identified as a good indicator of language proficiency (Milton 2013; Nation 2001). Research shows that second language (L2) learners with large or better developed vocabularies have better performance in reading (e.g., Albrechtsen et al 2008; Jeon and Yamashita 2014; Laufer 1992; Qian 1999; Stæhr 2008), listening (e.g., Stæhr 2008, 2009), writing (e.g., Engber 1995; Grant and Ginther 2000; Schoonen et al.2003; Stæhr 2008), and speaking (e.g., De Jong et al 2013; Uchihara and Clenton 2018; Uchihara and Saito 2019). Vocabulary size and depth are associated with the overall scores of L2 learners’ speaking proficiency (De Jong et al 2012; Milton 2010); Both receptive and productive vocabulary knowledge can predict L2 speaking performance, especially fluency (Uchihara and Clenton 2018; Uchihara and Saito 2019); The speed and efficiency of lexical access affect L2 speaking fluency, allowing it to be used as a measure of L2 cognitive fluency (De Jong et al 2013; Segalowitz and Freed 2004).

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Results

Conclusion