Developmental dynamics in oral fluency and learner motivation: A dual-focus approach

Abstract

Adopting a comprehensive dual-focus approach to oral fluency development, the present study examined the developmental trajectories of oral fluency in tertiary-level Chinese EFL learners and identified the motivational attractor states helpful for shaping their oral production. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected over two semesters with monologue tasks and semi-structured interviews, respectively. Oral fluency development was examined using moving min–max graphs, change point analysis, and Monte Carlo simulations, while the retrodiction approach was utilized to identify influential motivational attractor states. Results showed that, over the course of the study, the two learners experienced distinct variability and phase shifts in their development of oral fluency, largely attributable to their unique motivational attractor states. By employing such a dual-focus approach, the present study provided a nuanced picture of Chinese EFL learners’ developmental dynamics in terms of both oral fluency and learning motivation and the adaptive interactions between them, thus enriching our understanding of how oral fluency development relates to learner motivation.