Task repetition and orientation in L2 oral narratives: a communication/content/function-focused analysis

This study examined how task repetition (performing the same task across multiple occasions) and task orientation (directed attention to linguistic form vs. message content) shape L2 learners’ oral narrative performance. Learners’ output was evaluated using the communication, content, and function (CCF) framework, which captures how speakers structure information, express meanings, and organize discourse. Chinese undergraduate learners were randomly assigned to a grammar-focused group (n = 35), a content-focused group (n = 34), and an audience-directed group (n = 35). Participants retold the same episodic narrative three times over 3 weeks, with varying task orientations. Results show that task repetition significantly enhanced learners’ ability to structure messages, express evaluative stance, and organize temporal and logical sequences, with small to medium effect sizes. In contrast, task orientation had limited impact on overall performance, though the grammar-focused group showed selective gains in direct speech and more appropriate referential choices. These findings demonstrate that repeated task performance strengthens learners’ construction and organization of meaning, supporting the pedagogical value of incorporating functionally oriented analysis of learner output into L2 speaking instruction.