ABSTRACT The ability to interact is an integral aspect of speaking proficiency. Therefore, methods of assessing interaction need to be incorporated into second language (L2) speaking tests. The main purpose of this exploratory study is to attempt to quantify interactional competence (IC) in a Japanese university EFL (English as a foreign language) context, in order to create a tool that has practical classroom applications. A secondary purpose is to investigate the relationship between IC and utterance fluency. Results indicated that the assessment tool was able to differentiate participants in terms of their IC, which suggests that it can measure student performance effectively. Results further suggested that IC is distinct from fluency, which has major implications for language assessment and pedagogy. More fluent speakers, as measured using a monologue task, tended to talk the most in a group discussion; however, they did not always score highly in terms of IC or exhibit a wide variety of interactional repertoires. This finding suggests that L2 learners—regardless of their speaking fluency or linguistic proficiency—could benefit from being taught techniques and strategies that enhance their ability to interact effectively. It also suggests that the construct of IC should be assessed in its own right.
Paul Garside (Mon,) studied this question.