Thursday, March 20, 2014

Fluency vs Proficiency - a Case History...

Saaners Loch, near Gstaad, Switzerland
I recently wrote a blog Fluency vs Proficiency in Foreign Language Learning and this topic appears to be quite hot when judging from the number of readers. And during a recent visit to the French part of Switzerland, my wife and I realized again that we are a prime example of the difference: While she is very "proficient" in French, I am more "fluent".

Our French Story 

Although I also studied French in school for a about a year (I hated it!), I had to learn French in earnest, when I started to work in (the French part of) Switzerland. And while my comprehension improved quite rapidly (I also took some evening classes) together with my ability to read, I did not become fluent in speaking until - I came to the United States.
How come? As I lived with some friends in a house where French was the language of communication, I had to speak French! And within a couple of months I became quite fluent in the language and could hold my own even in many esoteric conversations!
My wife, however, had 8 years of French in school and college. She reads books in French (most recently several Harry Potter novels) and her comprehension and vocabulary knowledge are great. But while her French fluency is still lacking, it is also improving steadily through some of the steps below.

How can you improve your fluency? 

There is only one way to do it: You have to speak the foreign language! Learning vocabulary is great and necessary, but it is not enough to help you speak. Some simple tips:

  • Practice by reading aloud 
  • Chose language programs the encourage you to repeat phrases and sentences, not just words. 
  • Find a foreign speaker with whom you can practice, either in person or via some of the social/language networks. 
 Language fluency is acquired by speaking - the more the better. Your pronunciation may not be perfect (Did this prevent Henry Kissinger from being understood?)and your grammar a work in progress. But, if language fluency is your goal then: Just do it - and speak!

No comments:

Post a Comment