Task repetition in oral assessment: differential effects in monologue and dialogue

Abstract Oral assessment is a challenging issue as various factors may play a role in language learners’ production. Task repetition and task type are among factors that may influence oral performance. Previous studies have produced contradictory results about the effect of these two factors. Furthermore, such studies have only focused on one of these factors. Thus, it is yet unclear how these two factors may function in tandem to affect oral performance. The present study was, therefore, aimed at filling this gap. Thirty-two EFL learners carried out four tasks made by combining task repetition and task type: Monologue with exact repetition, dialogue with exact repetition, monologue with procedural repetition, and dialogue with procedural repetition. Four raters evaluated the participants’ speaking performance using the Common European Framework of Reference speaking scale, including descriptors of range, accuracy, fluency, interaction, and coherence. A two-way repeated measures ANOVA was conducted to compare the participants’ performances across the four tasks. Results indicated no significant interaction effect for task repetition and task type on test takers’ performance after applying the Bonferroni adjustment. Additionally, the test takers received significantly higher scores on range and fluency when tasks involved exact repetition as opposed to procedural repetition. The findings further revealed that participants achieved significantly higher scores on accuracy in dialogue compared to monologue tasks. The findings hold implications for language teachers on how to use task types and task repetition in improving language learners’ oral production.