Accuracy versus Fluency

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.