The Balance between Fluencyand Accuracy

To be able to speak Englishwith fluency and accuracy is a goal of many Chinese English learners.Fluency canbe simply defined as"being able to communicate ideas without

having to stop and thinktoo much about what one is saying";speaking accurately means"speakingwithout errors of grammar and vocabulary".

However,the fact is thatmany students find that the faster they try to speak,the more mistakes they make.And,whenthey slow down,there may be fewer errors though it can

sound unnatural. So,howto balance accuracy and fluency in spoken English?

It can depend on themanner in which one has studied English in the past.People who tend to focus onaccuracy may find that they worry too much about making

mistakes.This can makethem nervous or embarrassed about speaking English in public.As a result,their spokenEnglish might not improve.This means that,although they

know English grammarand vocabulary well,they might not be able to hold a good conversation.

On the other hand,thereare those who really like to talk and are willing to try their language out evenif they make mistakes.This willingness to take risks helps them speak

more fluidly.But,if theymake a lot of mistakes,it may make it difficult for them to have their ideas understood.

The debate about whichis more important一fluency oraccuracy一in the English language has lasted for a long time.Still,onething is clear.neither of them should be absent if

one is to speak a languagewell.How can we be sure that we can develop both?The following tips could help.

Find the problem.Whatkind of person are you一onewho focuses on accuracy or one who focuses on frequency?The first step is to recognizeyour problem and go to work on

it.Think about situationswhere you've used English and how you felt about making mistakes?Do you always trysome new language even though it might not be correct?Or

do you feel embarrassedby mistakes?

Focus on one problemat a time.When you speak English,find the mistakes you make most often.One mistakeChinese often make is omitting the"S"from the third person

singular verb.Or youmay speak too slowly as if you were searching for the right word and correct grammar.The next time you use English,try to work on those problems you

have identified.If it'sfluency,try to focus on it.If you have a problem with the third person singular,tryto concentrate on when you make such errors.Don't spend time thinking

about other mistakes.Bychoosing an area to work on,you can isolate problems and help yourself overcomethem.

Vary your practice.Ifyou go to an English corner or an English club,try to change the types of activitiesyou take part in so that you practice both fluency and accuracy.Public

speaking allows you toslow down and be sure you have time to concentrate on the language.Meanwhile,discussionsare good practice for fluency,especially if you don't stop

each time a mistake ismade.

Tell the difference betweenfluency and speed.Some Chinese think that speaking fast is the same as speakingfluently.In fact,speaking fluently involves not only speed.It also

involves stress, pronunciationand intonation. If you make a mistake in these,speaking fast will only make it worse.Don't sacrifice understanding for speed.

Record yourself. Takea tape recorder and record a conversation with a friend or a speech or talk to yourselfas you do it naturally!A two-or-three-minute recording is

enough.When you've finished,listento yourself. Can you find out any error and correct it?Make it a regular practice.Themore you record yourself,the more confident and

natural sounding youwill become.Who are likely to feelnervous or embarrassed about speaking English in public?

A.Those who focus onfluency.

B.Those who focus onaccuracy.

C.Those who speaks fast.

D.Those who record themselves.