Using Extended Oral Fluency Practice in the Classroom: attempts, benefits, and pitfalls

by Kenneth Biegel

One of the main goals for many English language teachers is to find effective ways to improve the oral fluency of our students. Unfortunately, it is sometimes difficult to get students to discuss for extended periods of time. This discussion will encourage the participants to share their thoughts concerning the issue and to share some techniques they have found to be effective.

The facilitator will begin the discussion by introducing, as an example, an extended oral fluency exercise that he incorporated in a conversation textbook series he wrote for McGraw-Hill. He will share some of the benefits and the pitfalls he discovered while using the technique in Japanese university classes. After this brief introduction, the floor will be opened to discussion concerning the use of extended oral fluency practice for English learners. Specifically, the discussion will be guided by the following: What are the benefits in using extended oral fluency practice in class? What are some effective ways to get students to discuss for extended periods in class? Are there any drawbacks to these techniques? Other questions or discussion points will be encouraged from the participants in addition to the pre-set questions.

Mostly, this discussion will encourage the sharing of ideas concerning the validity of extended oral fluency practice and the sharing of techniques found to help facilitate such practice. This discussion is important since most of our students need to improve their oral fluency. A sharing of effective techniques can help us to help our students become better speakers of English.