Automatized vocabulary knowledge in predicting speech fluency
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 10-Jul-2025 09:10 ET (10-Jul-2025 13:10 GMT/UTC)
While automatized vocabulary knowledge has been shown to strongly predict general listening ability, its role in speech production remains unknown. Now, researchers have compared conscious recognition of simple word meanings (declarative knowledge) with instant, automatic access to contextualized word meanings (automatized knowledge) in Japanese students learning English as a second language. The findings revealed that automatized vocabulary knowledge better predicts fluency, and practicing vocabulary in real-life contexts may help learners speak more smoothly and confidently.