conceptualization of interactional competence components and task-based languageassessment: effects of task types on interaction performance

The growing need to use two-by-two speaking tasks in the foreign language (fl) contexts resulted in calls for more research to be done on interactional competence. this quantitative study aimed at accounting for interlocutor- interlocutor interaction in efl speaking task types from the viewpoint of efl learning and task-based assessment. it helped to perceive interactional competence components at the level of cooperation and task work and components of interaction. additionally, it found out how much the distribution of components of interaction could foresee its scores. the way task types could influence on interaction performance, including components, patterns, and scores of interaction, was examined as well. overall, 70 efl learners in an english for academic purposes (eap) program responded to four interaction-based tasks in groups of two each of which took 2.5 minutes. using particular scales, four raters scored all exchanges on interaction quality. afterward, each interlocutor’s interaction performance was turned into codes of interaction components. the data were analyzed to find whether the presupposed relationships between interaction components were empirically proved and if interaction components were the cause of variation in scores of interactional competence. the factor analysis results did not approve of the model of collaborative listening and collaboration managing factors. however, various communicative functions such as shaping opinions, exchanging opinions, connecting topics, and peer support described the interaction performance in a better way. in addition, components of topic connection, interruption of turn, and overlapping turns are vital elements to foresee scores. findings indicated that interactional competence could be put into operation for interaction components and patterns. also, speaking assessment should include two-by-two speaking tasks to evaluate the interactional speaking skills of test-takers.

Conceptualization of Interactional Competence Components and Task-Based LanguageAssessment: Effects of Task Types on Interaction Performance

The growing need to use two-by-two speaking tasks in the foreign language (FL) contexts resulted in calls for more research to be done on interactional competence. This quantitative study aimed at accounting for interlocutor- interlocutor interaction in EFL speaking task types from the viewpoint of EFL learning and task-based assessment. It helped to perceive interactional competence components at the level of cooperation and task work and components of interaction. Additionally, it found out how much the distribution of components of interaction could foresee its scores. The way task types could influence on interaction performance, including components, patterns, and scores of interaction, was examined as well. Overall, 70 EFL learners in an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) program responded to four interaction-based tasks in groups of two each of which took 2.5 minutes. Using particular scales, four raters scored all exchanges on interaction quality. Afterward, each interlocutor’s interaction performance was turned into codes of interaction components. The data were analyzed to find whether the presupposed relationships between interaction components were empirically proved and if interaction components were the cause of variation in scores of interactional competence. The factor analysis results did not approve of the model of collaborative listening and collaboration managing factors. However, various communicative functions such as shaping opinions, exchanging opinions, connecting topics, and peer support described the interaction performance in a better way. In addition, components of topic connection, interruption of turn, and overlapping turns are vital elements to foresee scores. Findings indicated that interactional competence could be put into operation for interaction components and patterns. Also, speaking assessment should include two-by-two speaking tasks to evaluate the interactional speaking skills of test-takers.