Developing Fluency in the Communicative Classroom

1. Developing Fluency in the Communicative Classroom Ella Lovece World Wide English

2. Communicative Language Ability To be able to operate effectively in the real world, students need plenty of opportunity to practise language in situations which encourage them to communicate their needs, ideas and opinions. Abbs and Freebairn: Blueprint Intermediate, Page 1

3. Communicative Language Ability To develop an ever improving capability to use English to communicate with others to acquire, develop and apply knowledge to think and solve problems to respond and give expression to experience and within these contexts, to develop and apply and ever-increasing understanding of how English is organized, used and learned. Clark, Scarino and Brownell (1994)

4. Communicative Language Ability Where possible, language practice should resemble real life communication with genuine exchange of information and opinions. Swan and Walter (1990)

5. Communicative Competence We thus make a fundamental distinction between competence (the speaker-hearer’s knowledge of the language), and performance, the actual use of the language in concrete situations.Chomsky (1965)

6. The Components of Communicative Language Ability or Communicative Competence 1. Linguistic competence 2. Pragmatic competence 3. Discourse competence 4. Strategic competence 5. Fluency

7. What does this imply for language learners? Linguistic competence • To achieve accuracy in the grammatical forms of the language • To pronounce the forms accurately • To use stress, rhythm, and intonation to express meaning • To build a range of vocabulary • To learn the script and spelling rules • To achieve accuracy in syntax and word formation

8. What does this imply for language learners? Pragmatic competence • To learn the relationship between grammatical forms and functions • To use stress and intonation to express attitude and emotion • To learn the scale of formality • To select language forms appropriate to the topic, listener, etc. • To know what is acceptable and what might cause offence

9. What does this imply for language learners? Discourse competence • To take longer turns, use discourse markers, open and close conversations appropriately, interrupt, check information, etc. • To appreciate and be able to produce contextualised texts in a variety of genres • To be able to use cohesive devices • To be able to cope with authentic texts

10. What does this imply for language learners? Strategic competence • To be able to take risks in using both spoken and written language • To use a range of communication strategies • To learn the language needed to engage in some of these strategies, for example, ‘What do you call a thing that/person who…?’

11. What does this imply for language learners? Fluency • To deal with the information gap of real discourse • To process language and respond appropriately with a degree of ease • To be able to respond with reasonable speed in ‘real time’.

12. Characteristics of a Successful Speaking Task or Activity 1. Learners talk a lot 2. Participation is even 3. Motivation is high 4. Language is of an acceptable level

13. The Aims of Fluency Tasks and Activities To develop: • interactional talk • transactional talk • turn-taking, both short and long • typical patterns (routines) • negotiation of meaning • pronunciation and intonation • listening comprehension / strategies

14. The Role of Interaction in the Classroom • Learners do not only need input; they also need practice in producing comprehensible output using all the language resources they have already acquired. • Getting feedback from the teacher and other students in the class enables learners to test hypotheses and refine their developing knowledge of the language system. • Being pushed to produce output obliges learners to cope with their lack of language knowledge: by struggling to make themselves understood; by speaking slowly for example; or repeating or clarifying their ideas through paraphrasing.

15. Preparing students for spontaneous interaction • Which tasks or activities encourage participation from all students, and so ensure that they all get practice opportunities? • Which tasks or activities require the practice of turn-taking skills? • Which tasks or activities encourage longer turns? • Which tasks or activities oblige negotiation of meaning? • Which tasks or activities give students practice in initiating conversations?

16. Making accuracy-based practice meaningful Preparing learners with the knowledge and skills needed for communication 1. Contextualised practice 2. Personalising language 3. Building awareness of the social use of language 4. Building confidence

17. C O N T E X T - P E R S O N A L I S E A W A R E N E S S - C O N F I D E N C E Listen again and tick the phrases you hear. Making suggestions Accepting suggestions I suggest… Yes, that’s a good idea. How about…? Yes, let’s do that. What about…? Why don’t we…? Rejecting suggestions Why not…? Yes, but… We could… I’m not sure about that. I’m afraid I don’t like that idea. Asking for suggestions Do you have any suggestions for…? Any ideas on…?  Discuss one of these topics in groups. Use the phrases in 2 above to suggest solutions, and accept or reject the ideas of your colleagues. • At present, your school pays for your English course. Next year, it wants to charge your parents 50% of the cost. What can you do to stop this change? • It’s your school’s 60th anniversary next year. Suggest ways of celebrating the occasion.

18. C O N T E X T - P E R S O N A L I S E A W A R E N E S S - C O N F I D E N C E FOCUS Closing strategies • Ending conversations: Well, I suppose I ought to get on. Listen, I really have to/ought to be going now. • Giving a reason for ending a conversation: I must get back to work. I’ve got some work to do. It’s getting late. • Making arrangements to make contact again: (Look), we must get together some time. (Listen), why don’t we meet for lunch? (Look), I’ll give you a ring. • Leave-taking phrases: See you (soon/next…) Good luck with/on… Give my regards to… Take care. Bye (for) now. Have a good evening/weekend/time on Monday. ACT IT OUT Act out a telephone conversation with a friend who has been ill. Telephone your friend to tell her/him about a party you have been to. Say what it was like and if you enjoyed it.

19. Designing and evaluating fluency-based activities 1. Free discussion 2. Drama and role play 3. ‘Gap’ activities

20. Cruel to be kind? F R E E D I S C U S S I O N ‘We never hit children or evenlike to scold them. We like to pick then up or ask them what is wrong, because if we punish them they will grow up to be difficult or bad-tempered. So we bring up our children mainly by talking and explaining things to them.’ (Chief of Amazonian Indian tribe) Speaking 1 1 Look at the photographs and the text. Do you agree with this way of bringing up children? How does it compare with the way they are brought up in your society? 2 Write down five characteristics of ideal parents. Think about factors such as age, personality and behaviour. Use the Present Simple and words like never and always. Example: They never lose their temper. 3 In groups, discuss what you wrote and agree on five characteristics.

21. Decision-making in Free Discussions In discussion activities, the teacher will be involved in decision-making of the following kinds: - How much support to give for content - How much to structure the activity - Whether to establish a goal and what kind of goal to set - How to organise feedback - How to encourage as much participation as possible

22.  Role play the following situation. A meeting • of the editorial board of the magazine Nostalgia. • Work in groups of four or five students. You are • the editors of the magazine and are planning the • next issue. • Decide on interesting topics for the four or • five main articles you would like to publish. • Each member of the group chooses an idea • for an article and jots down ideas about it • to present to the others. Think of a topic • which can be presented from an interesting • angle, e.g. a dramatic or memorable scene • or event, a memory which is full of emotion, • etc. • Before you present your suggestion to • your group, listen to the tape. Speaker A • makes suggestions and speaker B tactfully • disagrees in order to present alternative • suggestions. On the list on the right, tick • the strategies each speaker uses. An example • has been done for you. R O L E P L A Y The Twenties short skirts, short hair,… The Wild West in America excitement, discovery… •  Now present your suggestions for articles to the group using the same strategies as the speakers on the tape. • The group selects the most interesting articles to present to the class. • The class listens to the presentations and makes a final, well-balanced choice of topics for the magazine. 

23. Drama and role Play Six types of drama activity are commonly found in English language teaching classrooms: 1. Role play 2. Simulation 3. Drama games 4. Guided improvisation 5. Dialogues or acting play scripts 6. Prepared improvised drama

24. G A P A C T I V I T Y Box 39 A: Where have you been? A: Where have you been? B: B: A: It’s taken a long time. A: Did you get anything nice? B: B: A: Have you seen Emma? A: Have you seen Emma? B: B: A: On her own? A: Who with? B: B: A: Have you been shopping? A: Have you been shopping? B: B: A: Why not? A: Well, you’d better hurry up B: B: A: Who’s been shopping? A: Who’s been shopping? B: B: A: Oh, great! I’m starving! A: Did you get anything nice? B: B: A: Have the shops closed yet? A: Have the shops closed yet? B: B: A: Do you want anything? A: Have we got any milk? B: B:

25. G A P A C T I V I T Y Box 40 A: A: B: Shopping. B: Shopping. A: A: B: I know. It was really busy. B: No, it was too expensive. A: A: B: I think she’s gone shopping. B: I think she’s gone shopping. A: A: B: Yeah, I think so. B: On her own, I think. A: A: B: No, not yet. B: No, not yet. A: A: B: I’ve been cooking dinner. B: I know, I’m going now. A: A: B: I have. B: I have. A: A: B: Will you help me unpack it? B: Just a new pair of jeans. A: A: B: No, I don’t think so. B: No, I don’t think so. A: A: B: No, I’ve already been. B: No, I’ve just used the last bit.

26. Types of Fluency Activities • Describing pictures / Describe and draw / Describe and arrange • Picture differences / Finding similarities • Guessing games / Jigsaw tasks / Puzzles • Making lists • Problem-solving / Questioning • Prioritising • Drama / Simulation / Scripted and unscripted role plays / Guided improvisation / Dialogues • Discussions and debates • Group projects • Warm-ups and fillers • Reaching a consensus • Relaying instructions

27. Robinson Crusoe Island

28. Robinson Crusoe Island Box 1 - 10 boxes of matches - a full length mirror - a compass - a very sharp, strong knife - a large piece of tarpaulin - 20 pencils - 10 rolls of silver foil (3 square metres) - 50 fish hooks - 50 books of your choice - a radio with a year’s - a gas cylinder with 10 - 20 metres of strong, thin supply of batteries spare gas cylinders thread - a large barrel of petrol - 20 tins of beans - a large selection of vegetable - a spade seeds for planting - a bow and plenty of arrows - 10 thick pads of paper - 10 bars of soap

29. Robinson Crusoe Island Box 2 The………….will be useful for………..(+ verb…ing)…… We’ll need the……………..for…………(+ verb….ing)…… If we take the……………we’ll be able to……………(+ verb)……. We can use the…………….for……………..(+ verb……ing)………….. We have to take the………………so that we can…………..(+ verb)……………

30. Providing a Range and Balance of Tasks and Activities 1. Participation within the group • Does the activity oblige all students to co-operate and contribute, or does it allow some students to dominate? • Are students obliged to negotiate meaning as they perform the task? • Are group roles suggested, e.g. chair, or can students decide their own group structure?

31. Providing a Range and Balance of Tasks and Activities 2. Complexity of interactions • Does the activity require one type of interaction, e.g. pair work, or does it require several in sequence, e.g. pair work followed by two pairs in a group of four? • Does the group composition stay the same or does it change throughout the activity? • How much movement is needed within the classroom?

32. Providing a Range and Balance of Tasks and Activities 3. Opportunities for management of interaction • Does the activity require students to open and close conversations? • Do students need to manage topics and change topics? • Do students have a chance to control their own turn-taking?

33. Providing a Range and Balance of Tasks and Activities 4. Degrees of simulation required • Does the activity keep students in the conversational setting of their own classroom or ask them to imagine another setting? Is this known to them or difficult to imagine? • Do students have to assume roles (and are these familiar and/or useful) or can students be themselves? • Can students express their own attitudes and opinions or are these given?

34. Providing a Range and Balance of Tasks and Activities 5. Structure of the activity • Is there are gap of some kind? • Is there are set of instructions for students to follow or can they make up their own procedure? • How many phases does the activity have, or are these best managed as in-class or out-of-class work? • Is one outcome expected from the activity or can the students decide their own outcome?

35. Providing a Range and Balance of Tasks and Activities 6. Motivation • Is the topic one that will motivate a particular class? • What is the source of the motivation, e.g. the nature of the problem, the topicality of the subject?

36. Managing Classroom Interaction for Fluency-based Tasks and Activities • Clear classroom procedures, careful direction, organisation and monitoring • Role play and simulation require precise structuring at the planning stage as they integrate a number of things: input (from different sources both written and spoken; preparatory activities, language demands; various interactions e.g. pair work leading into group work, followed by whole class discussions

37. In developing fluency, it’s the responsibility of the teacher to • create a reassuring and relaxed classroom environment in which learners are prepared to take risks and experiment with the language • accustom the learners to listening and speaking in natural interaction • organise pair and group work • avoid obsession with accuracy in fluency activities • encourage incidental classroom speaking, giving learners the expressions they need.

38. Get them talking, keep them talking! Thank you for sharing your time with me…and for taking part in all of the activities!