Integrating quantitative and qualitative approaches in L2 fluency analysis: A study of Finnish-speaking and Swedish-speaking learners of English at two school levels

Abstract

Contemporary L2 fluency studies are predominantly quantitative examinations that focus on broad, group level differences in fluency. In this study, 20 Finnish-speaking and 20 Swedish-speaking learners from two school levels (upper secondary school and university) were studied for their fluency in L2 English. A control group consisted of ten native speakers of English. The quantitative analysis was complemented with a qualitative examination of six subjects' productions to explore also individual differences in fluency. The results suggest that a quantitative examination is suitable for speed and silent pause measures, which differentiated the groups clearly. However, differences in the use of filled pauses and repair phenomena could only be revealed with a qualitative analysis. A quantitative analysis should therefore be complemented with a qualitative examination to form a comprehensive picture of L2 fluency, including individual resources for achieving fluent speech.