Fluency

• Oral fluency– being able to speak using connected speech at a natural speed with little hesitation, repetition or self-correction. In spoken fluency activities, learners typically give attention to the communication of meaning, rather than trying to be correct. • Written fluency– being able to write in a clear and confident way. In a written fluency activity, learners give attention to the content and ideas of the text rather than trying to be correct. See accuracy.

 

Foreign language

A language which is not normally used for communication in a particular society. Thus English is a foreign language in France and Spanish is a foreign language in Germany.

Foreign language acquisition

There is a distinction between ~ (e.g., the learning of English in schools of Ukraine) and ‘second language acquisition’ (e.g., the learning of Ukrainian in Hungarian schools of Ukraine).

Foreigner talk

When native speakers address learners, they adjust their normal speech to facilitate understanding. These adjustments, which involve both language form and language function, constitute ‘foreigner talk’. ~ has been hypothesized to aid L2 acquisition in a number of ways (e.g., by making certain features more salient to the learner).

 

Formal instruction

This occurs in classrooms when teachers try to aid learning by raising the learners' consciousness about the target language rules. Formal instruction can be deductive (the learners are told the rules) or inductive (learners develop a knowledge of the rules through carrying out language tasks).

 

Formative assessment

Any form of assessment used by an educator to evaluate students' knowledge and understanding of particular content and then to adjust instructional practices accordingly toward improving student achievement in that area.

 

Formative evaluation

Evaluation that takes place between the introduction of material and its conclusion.

 

Functions

~ are the things people do through language, for example, instructing, apologizing, and complaining. Functional Approach: A course based on a functional approach would take as its starting point for language development, what the learner wants to do through language. Common functions include identifying oneself and giving personal facts about oneself; expressing moods and emotions.

 

G

Game

An organized activity that usually has the following properties: a) a particular task or objective; b) a set of rules; c) competition between players; d) communication between players by spoken or written language.