Trialing the Use of a Pre-Discussion Monologue Task as a Platform for Intersubjectivity in a Paired Discussion Task

Abstract

Eliciting specific behaviors in speaking tests can be complex. This is especially so in peer-to-peer tests in which control over the flow of interaction is left up to the students. This paper outlines a testing approach designed to promote intersubjectivity, including the ability to signal the contextual relevance of a conversational turn, as well as engaging with, and expansion of a partner’s ideas, in an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) paired speaking test. The test, intended as a diagnostic tool to assess speakers’ interactional competence (IC), was trialed with first-year students at a Japanese university. In response to video-delivered prompts, each speaker 
gave a monologue to their partner. Following this, the speakers engaged in a thematically related discussion task. Both the monologues and paired discussion were transcribed and analyzed to investigate the extent to which themes from the monologues were integrated into the discussion and served as a platform for both the contextualization of ideas, and a springboard for 
further topic expansion. In addition to giving insights into the prior English learning experience of Japanese first year university students obtained from a questionnaire, the paper evaluates the overall efficacy of the monologue stage. While the monologue stage did not actively promote the desired behaviors, there were positive observations related to the discussion stage itself and the 
video-delivered format. The paper aims to provide insights into the efficacy of pre-discussion monologues and potentially allow other educators to adapt the overall task design and delivery method to their own contexts.