Analysing the oral performance of EFL learners in the testing and the laboratory contexts

Abstract

The differential effects of planning on the performance of English-as-a-second-language learners in the laboratory and the testing context have been discussed extensively. However, research which compares data from both contexts is scant. The present study aimed at examining and comparing the impact of the testing and laboratory contexts on learners' performance. For this purpose, two groups of Spanish intermediate learners of English as a foreign language (60 in total) were asked to narrate a story based on a sequenced set of pictures under a careful online planning condition, which is the condition that has received the least attention in the testing context. An analysis in terms of complexity, accuracy, lexis, and fluency revealed statistically significance differences just in the fluency parameter, specifically in long pauses. Nevertheless, a clear trend towards the testing context was observed in all dimensions. The research findings will be of particular interest to practitioners trying to design oral tasks that faithfully adhere to the existing requirements for EFL production in both contexts. The paper ends with a discussion of possible reasons for the findings and suggests avenues for further research.