• Fumiya Shinozaki

  Author

• Haruyo Yoshida

  Author

Oral sentence building (OSB) is a chunk-based speaking exercise developed to improve
grammatical skills while speaking. The present study investigates whether OSB improves
grammatical accuracy in speaking, focusing on the use of certain grammatical elements and the
influence of similar sounds. Thirty high-intermediate level participants attending a national
university took a pretest and posttest which included 10 OSB questions. They were instructed to
practice OSB exercises 30 times (three times a week for a total of 10 weeks) between the tests.
Their scores on the pretest and the posttest were analysed with a correlation analysis and t-test.
The results of the analyses revealed that the number of OSB practice sessions and accuracy in
the use of plural forms was significantly correlated, suggesting that learners could pay more
attention to plural forms while answering OSB questions. This finding indicates the possibility
that doing OSB exercises can positively affect learners’ speaking proficiency.
Key Words: oral sentence building, grammatical accuracy, working memory.

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