Rationale O3: Typically in domain X, how fluently do Focus Group people speak the Neighbour Group language?

  • Very fluently
  • Fluently
  • Somewhat fluently
  • A little fluently
  • Not fluently at all

Goal

We may surmise that the individual will have had to spend a lot of time to gain experience in producing the Neighbour Group Language if they are very fluent speakers. Some examples of concrete scenarios include being raised in a multilingual community from birth, or learning later in life but with intensive usage.

The answer to this question is treated as one of a number of factors that play a role in affecting the outcomes of language change. The factor by itself is likely unable to affect outcomes, but in combination with other factors, is thought to play a role.

Definitions

We define fluency as:

  • ease/smoothness of spontaneous speech production, in so far as it gives some indication of how much interaction Focus Group people may have had with the Neighbour Group in order to become proficient in the Neighbour Group Language.
  • So-called “age of acquisition” should not be a considering factor.
  • Here we avoid any precise or prescriptive characterisation of fluency, or any definition of fluency based on the concept of “a native speaker”.

The scale we use is as follows:

  • Very fluently: Almost a complete absence of linguistic markers that differentiate the speech of a Focus Group person from a Neighbour Group person, e.g. or use of features that fall entirely beneath the level of speaker/interlocutor consciousness.
  • Fluently: High level of production, but a few linguistic markers of “late acquisition”, such as having an accent. A non-native linguist would not necessarily be able to ascertain level of fluency from a textual transcription without audio.
  • Somewhat fluently: Many markers of late acquisition, but does not impede communication and comprehension. A non-native linguist would likely be able to ascertain level of fluency from a textual transcription without audio.
  • A little fluently: Many markers of late acquisition. It hampers communication and comprehension.
  • Not fluently at all: Usage limited to lexical items, and rote learned set phrases.

Examples

Broadly speaking, a fluent speaker is someone who is perceived as havinɡ a hiɡh level of oral proficiency in a given language. In the literature on second language acquisition, fluency is considered to be one dimension of L2 profiency, often measured, for instance, in terms of (perceived) speech rate (as a combination of both the speed of talking and the extent of pausing). For an overview, see Peltonen (2023).

Theoretical & Empirical Support

The second language acquisition literature defines proficiency in the L2 as a multifaceted notion, which can be broken down in at least three distinguished, yet interdependent, dimensions: accuracy (or correctness), fluency (perception of ease/confidence in L2 production), and complexity (as in both learner difficulty and system complexity of the L2). For an overview see Housen & Kuiken (2009).

    Questions