CARLA Presentation: The Impact of Task Type and Proficiency Level in the Assessment of Oral Fluency in Spanish as a Second Language

This research examines utterance fluency in Spanish as a second language (L2), focusing on how task type and proficiency level influence fluency features such as speech rate, breakdowns, and repairs. Fluency is a key indicator of communicative competence, yet its assessment often lacks consistency, particularly in L2 Spanish. While widely used proficiency exams, such as the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) and the Diploma of Spanish as a Foreign Language (DELE), assess fluency within conversational contexts, they may not fully capture the impact of task demands on fluency performance. This study addresses this gap by analyzing data from 28 participants —14 at the intermediate level and 14 at the intermediate-high/advanced level— who completed an oral Language Proficiency Exam (LPE) and a scenario-based task following Di Pietro’s (1994) framework. By comparing fluency patterns across these tasks and proficiency levels, this research provides empirical evidence on the variability of fluency across different assessment formats, contributing to more valid and nuanced fluency evaluation practices.

Presenters
Leiry Warren is a PhD candidate in Hispanic Linguistics in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese Studies, specializing in second language acquisition and oral fluency, with advanced degrees from institutions in Colombia, Spain, and the U.S., and extensive teaching experience.
Carol Klee is Professor of Hispanic Linguistics in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese Studies at the University of Minnesota. Her research interests include Spanish sociolinguistics and language contact, and content-based language instruction.