Aspects that characterize fluency in second language

Abstract

Descriptive research involving the sound system of languages requires technical work so that prosodic phenomena are interpreted and confronted with intuitive and imprecise knowledge, usually expressed through metaphors. In this paper, we suggest that a technical approach to the prosodic fluency category provides consistent description to guide reliable judgment of this criterion in second language proficiency tests (L2, LE, LA). We understand that it is necessary to know how the phenomenon occurs during the production of speech in L2, so that it can be pointed out and justify the occurrence or absence of certain characteristics expressed in seconds by the learner. Thus, the purpose of this article is to describe aspects involved in the composition of prosodic fluency category technically, paying greater attention to pauses. To this, we problematize the concept of fluency in descriptors of proficiency levels of Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, in order to contribute to the accurate judgment of this category.

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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.12957/matraga.2017.28174