L2 development during study abroad in China

This study analyzed L2 Chinese development in regards to fluency, tonal accuracy, vocabulary acquisition, and task fulfillment during a study abroad (SA) program in China. Tonal accuracy has not been investigated in previous SA research, which has focused largely on non-tonal languages. Furthermore, task fulfillment, a metric linked to L2 proficiency and linguistic ability has not been included in previous SA research either. Twenty-two L2 learners of Chinese completed Simulated Oral Proficiency Interviews (SOPIs) before and after SA. These SOPI recordings were analyzed for a series of fluency measures (speech rate, filled pauses, unfilled pauses, and mean pause length), tonal accuracy percentages, type-token ratios, and task fulfillment. Mixed linear model analyses of these repeated measures showed that, when compared to participants' pre-test scores, their post-test scores showed significant improvement for tonal accuracy, vocabulary development, and task fulfillment as well as for all measures of fluency, showing a faster speech rate and shorter pauses.