BRIDGING THE GAP: Part 2CPR – Avilés

2011 – 2012

2. Fluency vs. Complexity

“She is perfectly

fluent in awful English”

Lita Lessa

Fluency

To foster complexityThe ability to produce

language with ease.

The ability to speak with a

good, but not necessarily

perfect command of

intonation, vocabulary ,

syntax and grammar.

The ability to express ideas

coherently

The ability to use continuous

speech without causing

comprehension difficulties,

with minimum breakdowns

and disruptions

Opportunities for

“restructuring” * should be

present through addressing

language prior, during and

after completing the activity

* ”restructuring” = accommodation

of intake to fit in with the

existing data (adapted from Van

Patten, 1993)

Addressing language ...... prior ... during ... after the activity

Pre-teaching linguistic

forms

Reducing complexity

of activity (rehearsal/

sample)

Allowing for time to

plan

Participation (dyads)

Resources (materials

to carry out the

activity)

Procedure (subtasks)

Order (sequencing)

Product (written/

spoken

Public performance

Repeat performance

Other performance

(other more advanced

ss doing the same)

3. Vocabulary Range

Some interesting figures

• Lower-intermediate

3,000 words min.

• Receptive threshold intermediate

5,000-6,000 words

• First-year university materials

10,000 words

Short-term Long-term Memory

• Guided discovery

• Contextual guesswork

• Monolingual dictionary

(learning strategy + learner autonomy)

• Collocations

CO

LLO

CATIO

NS

Source: Unit 10, p.101 Complete CAE (Brook-Hart, G. And

Haines, S., 2009, CUP.)

CHANCE

OCCASION

OPPORTUNITY

POSSIBILITY

4. Natural Speech

Conversational

routines and fixed

expressions

Where might these occur

and what is their function?

•This one’s on me

•It was lovely to see you

•Thanks for coming

•I don’t believe a word

of it

•I don't get the point

•You look great today

•As I was saying

•I’ll be making a move

then

•I see what you mean

•Let me think about it

•Just looking, thanks

•I’ll be with you in a

minute

•It doesn’t matter

5. Fossilized language errors

More frequent in

programmes where

fluency is developed at

the expense of accuracy(Higgs & Clifford, 1982)

Explicit treatment of

grammar

Focus on form

Restructuring Comprehensible

output

Noticing

Making informed decisions

• But first choose words you don’t know form the box and decide which you find useful for the topic

• Then read this info about dyslexia and fill in the blanks

• Now focus on content, make a list of the things you agree with and another with what you disagree with

• Analyse the source and compare the styles (more or less formal/ more or less conversational)

• Spot and highlight any other interesting words or expressions that you don’t normally use

COMPREHENSIBLE OUTPUT

DEBATE

Group A: In favour of catering for dyslexic

learners in the school context

Group B: “Dyslexia doesn’t exist and if it did it’s

not the teacher’s problem”

Smile you are being recorded

To recap: Aim of each activity

RESTRUCTURING

P NOTICING Key vocabulary to speak about Foreign

Language Learning

NOTICING Natural English expressions and input

info about English spelling reform

triggering off concept of Dyslexia

COMPREHENSIBLE OUTPUT Dialogue using expressions

VOCABULARY RANGE Vocabulary: collocations to express

possibility

NATURAL ENGLISH Explain the use of these expressions

VOCABULARY RANGE Reading texts, input on content to raise

awareness/ awaken opinions

D COMPREHENSIBLE OUTPUT Recorded debate

A NOTICING – FOSSILIZED ERRORS Watch recording

C

o

n

c

l

u

s

i

o

n

• Expand their grammatical competence, including acquiring new

ways of using known forms, as well as adding more complex

language resources to their linguistic repertoire.

• Become more fluent and accurate language users.

• Develop the capacity to monitor their own language use as well

as that of others, and to notice the gap between their

productive

competence and those of more advanced language users.

• Continue to develop their vocabulary, particularly at the 5,000

to

6,000 word range.

• Develop a greater awareness of and familiarity with patterns of

lexical collocation.

• Master the use of conversational routines and other means

of participating actively in conversation and other forms of

spoken discourse.

• Further develop their proficiency in listening, reading, and

writing.

“Everyone is a genius; but if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it’s stupid.”

Albert Einstein

Thank you

for coming

CU nxt Wed