Freeing teachers and learners: How can we promote fluency in the language classroom?

Freeing teachers and learners: How can we promote fluency in the language classroom? Dr. Stephen Bax Canterbury Christ Church University England KTEC, Kuwait May 2006

Background Dr. Stephen Bax s.bax@canterbury.ac.uk

My background -Sudan -Algeria -Damascus, Syria -Baghdad, Iraq -Canterbury -UAE –national review of education -Jordan – national review of English teaching -Kuwait, Qatar, Yemen, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia

Why focus on fluency? Professor Christopher Brumfit (1940-2006) 1984 “Communicative methodology in language teaching: The roles of fluency and accuracy”

The nature of language “…we cannot operate with a view of language simply as a descriptive system to be handed over to the learner; language is not a package to be given from one owner to another…..” (Brumfit 1980:116, my emphasis)

Why is this important? Maybe our whole idea of language is damaging for our learners! “…by defining language as knowledge, a deficit view of the learning process has been established for all second language learners” (Brumfit 1980:120)

Why is this important? In other words, we need to realise that language learning is unique: It is a SKILL and not just packets of KNOWLEDGE.

Skills work needs fluency work So our question today is, how can we promote a focus on skills and a focus on fluency? …….. particularly for Arabic speaking learners?

What do teachers do in practice? Handout 1

What is the teacher’s role? • Facilitator, model and so on…. but also • To act as a provider – which means to provide all that learners need. Note: only the teacher can do this

How do we learn a language?Four Keys to Language Learning Affect (motivation) Learners need to feel right about learning Input They need the right quantity and the right quality of input Output They need the right quantity and the right quality of output opportunities Form (accuracy work) They need awareness of correct forms • cf. Willis 1996

What is missing in these classes? • Use of active tasks to promote fluency • Teachers’ ability to develop their own activities and materials • Checking student learning (spot checking) • Using errors as a way of teaching

1. So …what teachers can do • focus on skills • provide tasks and materials for fluency • check that all pupils are practising • use errors creatively • Teacher as provider - providing what the coursebook does not

2. What coursebooks can do • focus on skills • give space and time for fluency work • give tasks for fluency practice

Problem • parents, headteachers and learners have the view of language as a fixed package (Brumfit) • this leads to certain views about learning • … and views about the teacher's role

3. What the authorities can do • Ministries: need to remember that language is not a fixed package, but a skill • the need for a ‘syllabus with holes’, giving extensive space for fluency practice • the role of inspectors and supervisors

Tests and exams • need to be skills-based • move away from grammar • use unseen texts and passages • Exams as the main tool for change?

Conclusion • We can see WHAT we can usefully do to promote fluency • We have seen some pointers as to HOW to do it • Let’s do it!

Thank you Dr. Stephen Bax s.bax@canterbury.ac.uk

Freeing teachers and learners: How can we promote fluency in the language classroom?