FACT

We started the discussion by focusing on the difference between fluency and accuracy in oral production.

This was to set out some descriptors of what we mean by fluency and accuracy in the classroom and what is the role of each in terms of language development.

Some of the suggestions from the teachers to describe tasks which focus on accuracy in speaking were:

-- •- Pronunciation

•- Reading aloud

•- Reading answers to a task

•- Careful talking

•- Well-thought out

•- Well-structured

Some of the suggestions from the teachers regarding tasks focusing on fluency in speaking were:

•-- Looking for information

•- Sharing information

•- Quick exchanges

•- Two, three more people

•- Not worrying about making a mistake

•- Keeping the flow going

This workshop aims at bridging the gap between accuracy and fluency by offering .

• Question loops any situation where you have questions and answers, or terms and definitions, or halves of sentences, or two-clause sentences separated by linking phrases etc, can be exploited to create a question loop. It's very easy to make a question loop. All you need to do is type your questions and answers into a table with two columns with the questions and answers on the same row, but in different cells. Then mark all of the answers and move them down one row. Then cut the last answer and move it to the top row. Print them off and hand out one row to each student. They read their question, someone else answers, reads their question and so on, till you get back to the beginning. (Many thanks to Nigel Heslop for this task.)
	Info gap •any visual with labels can be copied twice one for student A and the other for student B. Each visual has different information missing so that students, who aren’t allowed to show each other their visual, must speak to each other to fill in the missing information from their diagram.
Information Search •similar to question loop in that this activity suits information in the question and answer format but where the information is organised in ‘three things you know’ and ‘three things you want to know’. In an information search, there are 6 or more cards with information around the class and students have to find the information missing from their cards by asking the right questions. If they are asked for information and they have it on their card, they give the information. (watch out for this kind of thing at www.onestopclil.com)	Question help What is the location of...? / Where is ... situated? What is the distance of ... from the Sun? / How far is ... from the Sun? What is the temperature / mass / atmosphere / core of...? What is the atmosphere / core of ... made up of? What does the atmosphere / core of ... consist of? What is the planet ... named after? / Where does the name ... come from? What else can you tell me about ...? Answer help ... is located / is found / is situated The distance between ... and the Sun is ... / The distance of ... from the Sun is ... ... has a temperature of ... / from ... to ... / ... varying between ... and ... / ranging from ... to ... ... has a mass of ... point ... times ... to the (power of) ... kilos ... has a (very thick / thin / poisonous) ... atmosphere (made up of ...) ... has a core made up of ... / which is made of ... / consists of ... ... is named after It is also ... / It also has ... / It also ...
	Word guessing games •prepare a sheet of vocab and put the class into teams. Each team has one minute to guess as many words as possible and they get one point for each correct guess.
Class surveys •use questionnaires to guide pupils in asking set questions of their classmates.
	Making presentations / talking from a prompt •instruct pupils to present information from a visual using language support handout.
Drama We also did a bit of drama. The play we did as an example of what is possible in the space of a 40 minute lesson was 'The Plague at Eyam' from the Science Year CD website (www.sycd.co.uk). •Repetition and rehearsal – opportunity for combination of accuracy and fluency –- Check the roles ––- Discuss the characters ––- Other ‘parts’ to play, rags, boxes, doors ––- Discuss setting - background ––- Share roles – two students together ––- Give time to rehearse, think about voice ––- Think about sound effects ––- Film scenes / mp3 record scenes	You can download the play from here, but browse the ASE Science Yr website for more www.sycd.co.uk

We had a lot of fun with the speaking and drama, I think the group in charge of sound effects did a sterling job.

Keith

10.06.08