Fluency and coherence
Fluency and Coherence: speak at length without long pauses, self-correct smoothly and organise your ideas clearly.
In this lesson you will
- Reduce long pauses and repetition
- Use discourse markers to organise speech
- Practise fluency with proven routines
Learn
Fluency = speaking at length without unnatural pauses, repetition or self-correction. Coherence = your ideas are logical and connected.
Discourse markers organise speech: Well, Actually, I mean, The thing is, On top of that, Mind you, Anyway, So basically. Use them naturally, not in every sentence.
Keep going: if you forget a word, paraphrase (the thing you use to…). Small mistakes are less damaging than long silences.
Practice routines: record a two-minute answer daily and listen back; the 4-3-2 technique (same story in 4, 3, then 2 minutes); shadowing podcasts; thinking aloud in English.
Examples
- The thing is, I’ve never been very good at cooking. Mind you, I make a decent omelette!
- It’s a kind of… a tool you use to open tins — a tin opener!
- So basically, there are two reasons. First… and on top of that…
Vocabulary
fluency
speaking smoothly without long pauses
coherence
logical connection of ideas
discourse marker
a word that organises speech
paraphrase
say it differently
shadowing
repeating audio at the same time as the speaker
Practice
If you forget a word, it’s best to…
Speaking
4-3-2 activity: describe your favourite place for 4 minutes, then 3, then 2. Record the last round and count your long pauses.
Lesson quiz
Fluency is about…
Review
Key points
- Fluency + coherence.
- Discourse markers.
- Paraphrase and keep going.
- Daily routines: record, 4-3-2, shadowing.
What you learned
- ✓ I speak more fluently.
- ✓ I organise my speech.
- ✓ I have practice routines.