Fluency is a core concept in English language teaching, yet it remains one of the most debated and multifaceted skills to develop in learners. As the second entry in my weekly ELT series, this article explores fluency, its importance, and practical ways to nurture it in the classroom.
What Is Fluency?
Fluency in language learning often refers to the ability to communicate ideas smoothly, without undue hesitation, and with a natural rhythm. It does not imply perfection; rather, it emphasizes communicating meaning over accuracy. Fluency entails:
Smoothness 🌀: Being able to speak or write in a way that flows naturally.
Speed 🚀: Delivering ideas at an appropriate pace, not too slow or rushed.
Cohesion 🔗: Organizing ideas in a logical and understandable manner.
Confidence 💪: Speaking or writing without significant pauses or over-reliance on translation.
While fluency is often associated with speaking, it is equally vital in writing, where ideas must flow seamlessly from one sentence to the next.
Fluency: Definitions from the Past and Now
The concept of fluency has evolved significantly over time. In a 1993 article from the ELT Journal, fluency was broadly defined as the ability to link units of speech together with ease, emphasizing smoothness in articulation, coherence, and syntactic fluency. Teaching practices focused on drills, role-plays, and task-based activities to enhance natural language use.
Fast forward to 2023, research has expanded fluency into three distinct categories:
Fluency in Interaction: Moving beyond individual performance, fluency is now seen as collaborative. Interactional fluency involves mutual efforts to maintain conversational flow, emphasizing strategies like turn-taking and cohesive links.
Fluency-Disfluency Continuum: Features like pauses and repetitions, once labeled as disfluencies, are now recognized as strategic tools to maintain communication and reduce silence.
Influence of L1 Speaking Style: Learners' first language habits significantly impact their perception and execution of fluency in a second language. Understanding L1 speaking styles can help learners set realistic goals and improve their L2 performance.
My Take on Fluency
In my experience as a CELTA trainer and language teacher, fluency is a dynamic and interactive process. Here are three key perspectives I find crucial:
Interactive Nature of Fluency 🤝: Fluency thrives in interaction. Encouraging learners to focus on turn-taking, cohesive dialogue, and active listening promotes meaningful communication.
Paralinguistic Features 🖐️🎶: Non-verbal elements like intonation, gestures, and facial expressions play a critical role in conveying meaning and maintaining fluency.
Learner Profiles 🧑🎓: Each learner brings a unique perspective shaped by their L1 speaking style. Guiding students to reflect on their L1 habits can provide insights into areas of strength and improvement in their L2 fluency.
Suggested Practices for Classroom Implementation
Developing fluency requires activities that balance meaningful practice with a supportive environment. Here are three recommended activities:
Good Model vs. Bad Model Activity 🎥❌✅:
Play two video or audio recordings 📼 for the students, showcasing a fluent and a less fluent speaker. Ask the students to evaluate how fluent they perceive each speaker and discuss why. This activity draws their attention to the natural way of speaking, focusing on factors like intonation, pace, and coherence.
Collaborative Fluency Challenge 🤝🏆:
Pair students and assign each pair a topic to discuss collaboratively, such as planning a party or solving a mystery. One student starts the conversation, and the other must pick up and continue seamlessly. The focus is on turn-taking, building on each other’s ideas, and maintaining the natural flow of conversation. Afterward, students reflect on their interactions to identify strengths and areas for improvement.
Paralinguistic Practice 🎭:
Use video clips to analyze gestures, intonation, and facial expressions. Students can then practice delivering the same message, incorporating these paralinguistic elements to enhance their fluency.
Dive Deeper
📚 For those interested in exploring the topic further, here are some valuable resources:
💻 "Fluency Revisited" (2023): A modern perspective on fluency, highlighting its interactive nature and the fluency-disfluency continuum. Oxford University Press
📜 "Fluency" (1993): A foundational article offering a general overview and early practices in fluency development. Oxford University Press
💡 American TESOL Webinar: "Unlock Your Speaking Potential": This webinar provides engaging strategies and practical ideas to improve students' spoken fluency in a dynamic classroom setting. American TESOL Institute
Join the Conversation
How do you incorporate fluency-building activities into your teaching? I’d love to hear your experiences and ideas in the comments. 💻 Let’s learn and grow together! 🌟☀️✨
Stay tuned for next week’s post, where I’ll tackle another exciting ELT concept! 📚🌎✨
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