Foreign language oral productions are often characterized by uncertainties of the learners whilst they attempt to articulate in the target language. These uncertainties which usually result from their limited proficiencies in the target language are usually manifested through pauses and hesitations.This study delves into the phenomenon of pauses and hesitations in foreign language oral productions, aiming to expound the factors contributing to hesitancy in the oral discourses of foreign language learners, which happens to be one of the key indicators of fluency in speech productions. A task-based language assessment was conducted involving ten university-level French learners who were tasked to describe and narrate a series of wordless pictures in the target language. Participants were also interviewed for information about their thought and cognitive processes as they completed the communication task. Data analysis, comprising orthographic transcriptions of their narrations and thematic categorization, highlight the prevalence of silent and filled pauses, grammatical and cognitive pauses as well as other hesitation phenomena, such as repetitions and self-corrections. Results underscore vocabulary limitations and fear of committing errors as prominent hindrances to fluency in the target language. Interviews also reveal that pauses often serve as cognitive checkpoints for learners, facilitating mental translations and speech planning. This research highlights the nuanced interplay between linguistic proficiency and cognitive processing in foreign language speech production, offering valuable insights for language educators and learners alike.

Authors:
Ekua Mensimah Thompson Kwaffo, Ashesi University, Ghana

About the Presenter(s)
Mrs Mensimah Thompson Kwaffo is a University Assistant Professor/Lecturer at Ashesi University in Ghana

See this presentation on the full schedule – Saturday Schedule

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