This study reviews conceptualizations and operationalizations of second language(L2)speaking constructs.A total of 199 peer-reviewed papers published in SSCI and CSSCI journals in applied linguistics are coded for speaking subskills,cog-nitive processes,and attributes.Results show that the scope of L2 speaking construct has been expanded and operationaliza-tions of this construct become more concrete and measurable.Despite these advancements,the current body of research exhib-its several limitations,including:1)insufficient exploration of the L2 speaking process;2)unbalanced research on L2 speak-ing sub-skills,with little attention given to features related to the speaking content,oral discourse and pragmatic competence;and 3)inadequate investigation into the interaction effects of various factors affecting L2 production.This paper ends with a multilayered L2 speaking construct framework and discussions on potential future research directions.
second language speaking proficiencyconstruct definitionconstruct operationalizationbibliometric analysissystemic review
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