Bridging the research–pedagogy gap: ESL teachers’ beliefs about L2 fluency and fluency-enhancing classroom practices

Abstract

Despite substantial development in second-language (L2) fluency research, fluency remains underexplored in L2 teaching. Emerging evidence suggests that research-based fluency-enhancing activities are not fully utilized in classrooms, partly due to teachers’ relatively broad conceptualization of fluency. To address this issue, this study examines (1) teachers’ beliefs about fluency and fluency-enhancing activities and (2) the extent to which these beliefs are reflected in their classroom practices. By triangulating data from questionnaires, interviews, and classroom observations, this study contributes to the growing body of L2 fluency research, which has primarily focused on teachers’ self-reported data, thereby paving the way toward bridging the research–pedagogy gap. Using a mixed-methods approach, the analysis revealed (1) a discrepancy between teachers’ self-reported understanding and evidence-based conceptualization of fluency, (2) a tendency to equate fluency with general speaking skills rather than fluency-specific features, and (3) considerable variation in the quality of fluency-enhancing activities implemented by teachers. These findings highlight the need for teacher training that promotes a more refined understanding of fluency and the effective implementation of fluency-focused activities.