Transcript Accuracy vs Fluency

Accuracy vs
Fluency
Cesar Klauer
28 Feb., 2004
Presentation scheme
•
•
•
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What is fluency? What is accuracy?
Fluency VS Accuracy?
Communicative competence
Suggestions
What is fluency? ( 1 )
• Reasonable speech with sufficient
precision , with reasonable
correctness ( grammatically,
phonologically , lexically )
( Van EK and Alexander – The European Threshold Level Project, 1977)
What is fluency? ( 2 )
• Fluency can be thought of as “ the
ability to keep going when
speaking spontaneously”
(Gower, Phillips and Walters Teaching Practice Handbook , p. 100 )
What is fluency? ( 3 )
• “…the ability to produce written and/or
spoken language with ease...speak with
a good but not necessarily perfect
command of intonation, vocabulary and
grammar...communicate ideas
effectively, and produce continuous
speech without causing comprehension
difficulties or a breakdown of
communication. “
Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics
What is accuracy? ( 1 )
• Accuracy involves the correct use
of vocabulary, grammar and
pronunciation.
(Gower, Phillips and Walters Teaching Practice Handbook , p. 100 )
What is accuracy? ( 2 )
• Accuracy refers to the ability to
produce grammatically correct
sentences but may not include the
ability to speak or write fluently
Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics
Fluency VS Accuracy?
FLUENCY
• Production of
speech ( either in
speaking or writing )
ACCURACY
• Correctness of
language ( either
spoken or written )
Fluency + Accuracy!!!
Procedures
FLUENCY
ACCURACY
Concepts
Communicative Competence
• Del Hymes´s reaction to Chomsky´s linguistic
competence ( 1960´s )
• Canale: Communicative competence
comprises both knowledge, and skills in using
acquired knowledge when interacting in actual
communication. Knowledge means what one
knows (consciously or unconsciously) about
the language and about other aspects of life
and the world, and skill refers to how well one
can perform.
http://www.weeklyholiday.net/090104/mis.html
Elements of communicative competence
(Canale and Swain , 1980 )
• Grammatical Competence : “correctness” and
accuracy; the language “code” (e.g., vocabulary,
grammar, pronunciation, spelling, etc.).
• Sociolinguistic Competence : appropriate use of
language in varied social settings: social norms,
register, and other rules or social conventions
• Discourse Competence : ability to appropriately
engage in conversations requiring the combining and
connecting of phrases and sentences.
• Strategic Competence: manipulation of verbal and
nonverbal language to achieve the communication
goals: to clarify meaning and to enhance
communication
Suggestions
1. Provide extensive exposure to and
practice of the language considering all
the skills in an integrated way
2. Make grammar part of the teaching
process not the aim
3. Plan thinking of competences NOT the
parts of the competence
How to provide extensive
exposure
Activities should, whenever possible,
• be based on authentic materials
• enable learners to manipulate and
practice the language
• allow learners to rehearse, in class,
communicative skills they need in the
real world
• activate the processes of learning
Adapted from: Developing Adult EFL Students' Speaking Abilities, Kang Shumin The English
Teaching Forum vol35 nº3
Examples:
• Jigsaw listening/ reading and
Information gap : students negotiate
answers applying the language
• Films, soap operas, comedies, etc.( with
appropriate tasks ): eyewitness.
How to make grammar part of
teaching
a. IF accuracy activities are isolated: add
an application stage;
b. IF fluency activities are isolated: add a
feedback stage + language work
Plan thinking of competences NOT the
parts of the competence
•
Lesson, unit, term and year objectives
should be in terms of what students CAN
DO with the language not what they KNOW
ABOUT the language.
Examples:
a. Students will make questions, affirmative
and negative statements using the Present
Simple Tense
b. Students should be able to talk about,
describe, ask for and give information about
every day habits and routines.