This study examined how 71 Japanese junior high school students developed their speaking ability over a span of five months. A planned monologue was elicited that required the students to introduce themselves for one minute in English. Utterances from the task were transcribed and analyzed utilizing 1 1 measures that assess vocabulary, fluency, accuracy, and complexity, among others. The results indicated that overall the students significantly improved their vocabulary (the number of pruned tokens and types) and fluency (the number of words per minute). Those who had had higher vocabulary ability expanded the number of words that they used significantly, leading to more T-units, longer speech, and higher EBB scale scores (Koizumi & Kurizaki, 2002a) than those with lower vocabulary ability. Students with lower grammar ability improved their fluency (the ratio of repetitive words) and spoke for a significantly shorter amount of time. Those who had had lower speaking ability expanded their vocabulary (pruned tokens) and fluency (words per minute) significantly, producing more T-units and higher EBB scale scores. In contrast, those with higher speaking ability increased the complexity of their speech (the ratio of subordinating conjunctions) but gained significantly lower EBB scale scores.
