Font Size: a A A

The Methodological Choices In The Development Of College English Learners' Oral Fluency

Posted on:2002-01-08Degree:MasterType:Thesis
Country:ChinaCandidate:W X CengFull Text:PDF
GTID:2155360032954423Subject:English Language and Literature
Abstract/Summary:PDF Full Text Request
The present dissertation aims to study what are the effective and appropriate teaching methodologies for the development of L2 oral fluency within the models of fluency development for college English learners in the FL classroom setting. In our country, as Crookes (1991), Schmidt (1992), Swain (1995) state, the study on oral fluency development is still inadequate, though some researchers e.g. Li Xiaoju (1984), Li Guanyi (1994), Zhang Wenzhong (1999) have attempted to explore it. Based on the models accounting for the development of oral fluency, it is very necessary for us to discuss and find out what are the effective and appropriate methodologies to the development of L2 oral fluency in current classroom setting to meet the demands of society. The definition of fluency adopted here is the one defined by Richards et at. (1985). The indices to measure fluency are temporal variables, content variables and linguistic variables; temporal variables consist of (i) speaking rate, (ii) phonationltime ratio, (iii) articulation rate, and (iv) mean length of run. Before the actual investigation into the development of oral fluency begins, three models axe established to account for the processes of speech production and the development of oral fluency. These models are: accelerating models, restructuring models and instance models. Accelerating models include Levelt抯 (1989) Speaking model and Anderson抯 Adoptive Control of Thoughts (ACT). These two models emphasize that fluency requires the conversion of declarative knowledge into procedural knowledge. Levelt抯 describes the workings of three main mechanisms involved in speaking processes, 68 The Methodological Choices in the Development of College English Learners 慜ral Fluency i. e. conceptualiser, formulator and articulator. The main characteristics of the model are that it is incremental and parallel, and that lower level processing is more automatized than higher level processing. As to Anderson抯 ACT, there are three stages and two main processes in the conversion of declarative knowledge into procedural knowledge. The three stages are cognitive, associative and autonomous, and the two processes: compilation and tuning. The two main processes are divided into four sub-processes, namely, composition, proceduralization, generalization, discrimination. Restructuring model considers that speech production is the result of better algorithms of restructuring. The faster the restructuring is, the more fluent speech production is. As to instance model, it emphasizes that fluency is based on long-term memory and is achieved through the use of exemplars (formulaic speech) as the automatic sequences with freeing time pressure. These three models emphasize that proceduralization requires practice. The development of fluency involves the interaction of external and internal factors. Some factors closely related to fluency are considered in FL classroom setting at a novel angle. The five variables are: (i) linguistic input of the L2 learner, (ii) types of L2 practice, (iii) amount of L2 practice, (iv) quality of L2 practice and (v) focus of L2 practice, and these variables are interrelated with each other. With respect to the characteristics of fluency, we must generate a need to make learners speak through meaningful task. The teaching program is firmly rooted in clearly fluency-oriented task. Meanwbile, the learner himself must perform active role throughout...
Keywords/Search Tags:Methodological
PDF Full Text Request
Related items