The Effects of Pre-Task Planning and On-Line Planning on Fluency, Complexity and Accuracy in L2 Monologic Oral Production

Abstract

Research to date lends general support to the claim that pre-task planning impacts positively on language production, especially where fluency and complexity are concerned. However, mixed results have been found for accurate language use (e.g. Ellis 1987; Crookes 1989). One reason for these variable results may be that studies have differed in whether the task conditions allowed time for or encouraged careful on-line planning (i.e. formulation and monitoring of speech plans). The present study was designed to investigate the effects of both pre-task and on-line planning on L2 oral production. The results show that pre-task planning enhances grammatical complexity while on-line planning positively influences accuracy and grammatical complexity. The pre-task planners also produced more fluent and lexically varied language than the on-line planners. These findings help to further our understanding of the interrelationship between planning and L2 oral output and are also of obvious pedagogic relevance, as they indicate the task conditions needed to promote accuracy, complexity and fluency in monologic speech production.