Extroversion and group oral performance: A mixed quantitative and discourse analysis approach

This article reports on a data-based study that focuses on one particular personality dimension, extroversion, in relation to oral performance in a second language (L2). The data collected for this study consisted of 40 video-taped performances of Form 4 (Grade 10) secondary students who undertook a practice School-Based Assessment (SBA) group interaction task. Besides analysing the correlation between assessment scores and degree of extroversion, the group interactions were also transcribed and coded for a range of discourse features of group oral language production, such as hesitation, accuracy and mean length of utterance, which were then analysed in relation to the level of extroversion of the participants. In addition, an in-depth analysis of the discourse and interaction of two participants was undertaken. One was classified as an introvert, with a score of 1 on the extroversion scale on the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ), and the other was classified as an extrovert, with a score of 12 on the extroversion scale. Overall, correlations between the assessment scores and level of extroversion turned out to be low. Among the seven discourse features analysed, hesitation phenomenon was found to have a statistically significant relation to extroversion. The in-depth analysis of the nature and contents of the discourse and interaction of the two participants, however, revealed that the extrovert demonstrated a more active participation in the assigned assessment task, and the extrovert’s speech generally demonstrated a higher level of accuracy and fluency. Copyright © 2008 Macquarie University.