The differentiation
between fluency and accuracy is a very important one. However, here are some
things to think about.
Accuracy is the ability to use language correctly, without making mistakes with
grammar or vocabulary. Fluency focuses more on communicating effectively and
allows for mistakes as long as communication has been successful..
If we adopt the more usual aim of
accurate performance, one advantage is immediately obvious: the pupils can be
examined and tested to see whether they have acquired this accuracy or not.
Accuracy is simple examine, because it tests grammatical rules which can be
easily judged right or wrong, and so test can be to marked without too much
argument. Fluency is almost impossible to mark fairly, which is a pity because
it is a more important skill in most real life situations. The second
consequence of an accuracy dominated approach is that some pupils leave the
course before they have learnt enough of the foreign language to be of much
practical use. There is only a limited amount of time at the teacher’s disposal
in any teaching situation. If he spends that time insisting on accuracy in all
the detail, he will obviously not have time to train a fluent, more wide
ranging command of the language.
Face with a choice between
accuracy and fluency, most teachers will naturally tend towards a compromise
position: as much accuracy an as much fluency as possible in the time
available. However, teaching systems being what they are with their inevitable
demand for testable behaviour from the pupils, the accuracy criterion is almost
bound to find favour with the majority of teachers. In fact the problem goes
deeper than this. Fluency in the early stages of learning is very difficult to
recognize. After all, if a student has not learnt very much, he cannot easily
demonstrate how good he is at expressing his ideas. Accuracy is very easy to
recognize, with the result that an inaccurate leaner is very much louder
comment on the teacher’s skill than an inarticulate pupil.
The
characteristics of accuracy and fluency activities
Accuracy
- Usage: explanation
- Language for display
- Language for knowledge
- Attempts at communication are judged by linguistic competence
- Attention is given to language
- Correction is often a feature of accuracy focused work
- Language is the objective
Fluency
- Use: real life
- Language for communication
- Language for skill
- Attempts at communication are judged by performance
- Attention is given to meaning
- Correction is generally a minor clarification of fluency in use
- Communication is the objective
An
accuracy oriented activity such as pattern drills is usually used in the
teaching of a new target item. A fluency oriented activity such as extensive
reading and information gap aims to develop the students' spontaneous
communications skills in using what they have already learned. Be aware that it
is not always possible or appropriate to classify classroom activities using
this dichotomy and the differences summarized may not always apply. An activity
may be largely accuracy-oriented but also has some features of a fluency
activity at the same time.
