This study examines the oral fluency performance of second language (L2) learners and how it is achieved and maintained in spontaneous speech production. Forty-one Chinese learners of English, whose proficiency ranged from CEFR B1 to C1, participated in the study. Fluency was approached from three aspects: (1) the relationship between L2 fluency and L1 fluency and L2 proficiency; (2) the influence of external and individual factors on L2 fluency; and (3) the cognitive processing mechanisms underlying observable fluency. A mixed-methods approach was adopted, combining quantitative analyses of fluency measures and problem-solving mechanisms with qualitative analyses of learners’ processing difficulties during speech production. The results revealed that L2 fluency is not merely a product of L2 proficiency but is deeply rooted in learners’ L1 speaking patterns. It is also shaped by various external factors, such as gender, age, and so on. Beyond linguistic resources and individual characteristics, fluency reflects the efficiency and flexibility of real-time processing mechanisms.
This study contributes in three key ways: (1) expanding the methodology by integrating quantitative and qualitative analyses and introducing retrospective data into fluency research; (2) deepening understanding of how external factors and problem-solving mechanisms affect L2 fluency; and (3) enriching the research base through the development of comparative data corpora.
