The effect of proficiency level on pause location in L2 English oral performance

Pauses are a frequent feature of both first and second language (L2) speech and are considered an indicator of breakdown fluency. Little research, however, has been conducted into how pause frequency and location may vary by proficiency. This study filled the gap by analysing the location of pauses of 80 L2 English participants across four proficiency levels and 20 native speakers. All participants completed the same oral task. The data were transcribed and coded using the software Praat for pause type (filled or silent) and pause location (between clause, between phrase, within phrase and within word). As in past studies (Goldman-Eisler, 1968) a pause was deemed to be any filler or period of silence longer than 0.25 seconds. Proficiency emerged as a strong predictor of pause location with participants from the lower proficiencies pausing more often within words and within phrases whereas the higher proficiency students paused more often between phrases and between clauses. Higher proficiency was also associated with higher incidence of filled pauses.