The Role of Formulaic Sequence in Speech Fluency Development in ESL

Speech fluency involves not only the automatic application of rules, but also the memory retrieval of the appropriate expressions. Formulaic sequences, which appear to be recalled and produced as unitary wholes, are assumed to facilitate speech fluency. This study was conducted longitudinally to investigate the role of formulaic sequence in L2 fluency development in story retelling of a movie clip. The results showed that through three months' study participants had developed significantly in speech fluency, indicated by a faster rate of speech, extended mean length of run, and an increased formulas/run ratio. Distribution analysis indicated that formulaic sequences at the sentence level were limitedly available for L2 learners in formulating language. Formulaic sequences were also found to be used in a number of ways: avoidance, repetition, creation, as well as errors.