We can all recognise fluency, but cannot quite put our finger on its constituents. We can all practise to be fluent, but do not understand what linguistic and paralinguistic operations are involved, and therefore cannot teach others, or ourselves, to be fluent. This book tries to solve this puzzle. It is both an enquiry into fluency, and an argument for doing it pedagogical justice. It begins by exploring perceptions and accounts of fluency, both popular and professional, to understand their common denominators. It goes on to pinpoint, by analysis of various kinds of discourse, the specific features which promote fluency, in production and reception, while emphasising its relative, interactional and fluctuating nature in practice.
Presents both an enquiry into fluency and an argument for doing it pedagogical justice. Explores perceptions and accounts of fluency, both popular ad professional, to understand their common denominators. Pinpoints, by analysis of various kinds of discourse, the specific features which promote fluency, in production and reception, while emphasizing its relative, interactional, and fluctuating nature in practice. These analyses produce a methodological framework and a pedagogical strategy, illustrated by sample classroom activities. Activities are designed to promote the interplay between study of data and informed practice, and are targeted at advanced students of French. For language teachers, linguists, and their students. Guillot is a lecturer in French at the University of East Anglia. Distributed by Taylor & Francis. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
