LAUSR

Fluent speech is essential for smooth communication, whereas second language (L2) speech fluency is rarely comparable to first language (L1) speech fluency (Segalowitz, 2010). The gap is caused by various factors and may lead to communication anxiety or even communication breakdown. Therefore, fluent speech is one of the ultimate goals of L2 teaching and learning. L2 speech fluency represents an essential aspect of L2 testing and research. One of the latest monographs on L2 speech fluency, Second Language Speech Fluency: From Research to Practice written by Tavakoli and Wright (2020), explores this topic from two perspectives, i.e., fluency as speech performance and fluency in interaction. The authors claim two aims of this book. First, this book aims to introduce definitions, theoretical frameworks, methodological principles, and relevant empirical studies of L2 speech fluency. The other aim is to promote a multidisciplinary perspective to connect research of fluency as a psychological concept with that of fluency as a social concept. The major contributions of this erudite yet reader-friendly book lie in reconceptualizing and systemizing L2 speech fluency and identifying research gaps with an updated systematic review of both research and practice. However, some important topics in this field do not find a place in this book. Below we review the contents and strengths of the book and discuss some missing topics that have attracted increasing scholarly attention but still warrant further research.