ABSTRACT
Is tandem a viable technique for improving fluency? Participants often perceive improvement, but prior research is predominantly based on online exchanges and self-evaluation. Language production of diverse speakers (English, Mandarin, etc.) learning French/Japanese was measured within a 10-week, face-to-face tandem programme. The purpose was to examine the validity of claims of self-perceived improvement by comparing fluency scores from participants with third-party evaluators and correlating them with objective measures: filled pause ratio (FPR), type-token ratio (TTR), D-value, mean length of utterance (MLU) and mean length of turn ratio (MLTR). Participants were evaluated once during the programme’s first week and again in the final week. Learners were digitally recorded during casual conversation with their partner and then completed a video description task. Evaluators used the Language Proficiency Index (LPI) to assess the learners’ fluency. This score was compared with the learners’ self-assessments. Findings suggest that lexical diversity increases and learners speak more in conversation than their partners. Both learners and evaluators perceive a minor increase in LPI level, although learners are more likely to inflate this development. Results could inform opportunities for enhanced language learning in higher education, as well as broader applications such as supporting newcomers and refugees.
