Re: fluency versus accuracy
 

Hey there
Could u please give me more specific information about accuracy and why is it important?

Re: fluency versus accuracy
 

Just a quick thought. If by fluency one means grammar, and by accuracy one means vocabulary, pronunciation, making the right word choices, and certain other elements of language not directly related to syntax, then of course both are very important.

However, if we are judging someone's overall success with a language, whether it be her first or second, then I think we ought to give considerable weight to her fluency, her grammar, that is, how well she has mastered the rules of putting words together to generate meaning.

We use language to facilitate communication, but without linguistic fluency, how can one properly and effectively communicate ? I think a student who is fluent but not necessarily consistenly accurate is in a better place than a student with great pronunciation and an excellent knowledge of things, actions, etc., but who cannot string words together well or remember how to conjugate verbs, thus sounding, perhaps, a little broken.

Re: fluency versus accuracy
 

dears,
i'm a new to this. fluency? or accuracy? a very good topic.
how a child learns his mother tongue? initially the child commits mistakes. later focus on grammar or accuracy aspects. like that let the learners to have fluency first. then they can focus on grammar aspects

Re: fluency versus accuracy
 

Prinraj and NONO7, the definition of fluency is to let the students practise, errors and all. Accuracy of pronunciation and recitation of the sentence is important during the drilling stage. (RE: Modelling and drilling).

Whole chapters have been written on the area of fluency vs accuracy. The by-word is, to drill the students on their pronunciation (must be accurate) and then let them have freer practise (fluency phase). You can correct their spoken errors during the feedback to error phrase of your lesson.

Re: fluency versus accuracy
 

If a student is talking, I would never stop them or correct their words afterwards (if they're small mistakes that is!), as I think confidence is the key to fluency and then accuracy. They all follow each other.

Re: fluency versus accuracy
 

I agree with you too,So what do you think if we consider that for beginner and elementry fluency is more important than accuracy and for pre-intermed and intermed accuracy is more important than fluency and for upper intermed and advance level both fluency and accuracy are important.

Re: fluency versus accuracy
 

For me they are not just distinct criteria but also indicate entirely different things. Accuracy is normally a mixture of understanding of a grammar structure and enough vocabulary to communicate the point. In my experience it is best to give corrections at the level that the student is studying at.

Fluency on the other hand I have found to be more a mixture of student attitude and confidence. Asking a student which is better 'Tuesday night or a Hamburger' - a patently silly question that has no correct answer and therefore no way to make a mistake. That kind of thing has made students more comfortable at hamming language together - which hopefully results in more fluency further down the road.

So - I think they are both important but indicate different things.