In the world of ESL teaching, our students come to us for a wide range of different reasons. Some have recently moved or are planning to move to an English-speaking country, and are looking to equip themselves with the tools they need to survive. Others plan to stay in their countries, but want to learn English to work in the tourism industry or in another field where contact with English-speaking foreigners is common. Still others want to learn in order to travel the world, seeing as English has become the travelers’ lingua franca. Whatever their reason may be, each student will need to choose their end goal: do they want to be totally fluent, or “fluent enough”?
This may seem like a strange question to ask. If you are dedicating your time, energy, and money to learning English, why wouldn’t you want to go for total fluency? The question in response, then, is this: what is “total fluency”? Many would define this as speaking as fluently as a native speaker. This includes flawless grammar, a florid vocabulary, no accent whatsoever, and even thinking and dreaming in English. A person who is totally fluent in English would be able to operate in American, British, or Canadian society without revealing themselves to be a foreigner.
What, Exactly, is Total Fluency?
It sounds great, but once we start to examine the concept of “total fluency” more closely, its contradictions start to show. Do all native speakers’ English meet the lofty standard that students set for themselves? The data shows that it doesn’t. According to the National Literacy Institute, just 46% of Americans can read at over a sixth-grade level. Most of those people, however, would be considered to be fluent in English. This shows us that being fluent in English is not necessarily synonymous with having a C2 level.
Having an extremely high standard for oneself can also get in the way of progress while learning English. Pursuing perfection puts an enormous amount of pressure on a student, and they tend to be very hard on themselves whenever they make a mistake. This is not a healthy attitude when learning any skill, and in the long run may result in burnout and giving up English studies entirely. This is especially true considering that attaining a very high level of English fluency takes a long time. Making mistakes is part and parcel of any learning experience, and students should be forgiving with themselves while at the same time carefully noting any errors they make to try to gradually correct them.
The “Fluent Enough” Solution
If total perfection is not the way to go, then what is the right path? A goal that is far more attainable is what I call “fluent enough”: based on one’s specific situation, a lower level of fluency may be perfectly suitable. A student who wants to travel to New York on vacation doesn’t need to pepper their speech with Shakespearean references, and can get by perfectly well with a mistake here and there. Another student who wants to work in the tourism industry should know how to make small talk with customers and give recommendations on things to do in the area, but doesn’t need to know every word in the dictionary from cover to cover. Their English is adequate for their needs, but choose to use their time wisely by not learning concepts that will go unused.
Choosing this goal, however, means that students need to examine and let go of some of their long-held attitudes towards language learning. As children, many learners had teachers who set total fluency as the goal and North Star. As such, they carry those ideas with them as adults. Deciding to pursue “fluent enough” may cause them to feel lazy or that they are failures for not pursuing perfection. When we look at other skills, though, the same level of perfection is not usually expected. A parent who is teaching their child how to ride a bicycle is probably not expecting them to someday win the Tour de France. Rather, they want them to be able to ride well enough to get from one place to another. The same principle should be applied to English learning: looking at the student’s needs and particular situation, and setting their fluency goal based on what is realistic and sufficient.
When “Fluent Enough” is Not Enough
“Fluent enough” may not be for everyone, however. Someone whose goal is to work in their country’s embassy in New Zealand needs to have excellent English skills, on the level of a highly educated citizen of that country. They also need to be able to understand the quirky Kiwi accent that is not often taught in English classes. A person who wants to work as a university professor or other highly qualified job will also need to make sure that their fluency is near-perfect. “Fluent enough” is good enough for many people, but in these special cases, being “fluent enough” may cause a recruiter to choose someone with better English over you to get the job.
While the pursuit of total fluency in English can be a noble goal, it’s important to set realistic expectations. By focusing on “fluent enough,” we can achieve a practical level of English proficiency that aligns with our individual needs and goals. This approach not only reduces stress and anxiety but also increases motivation and accelerates learning. If you are interested in joining the Craving English team to help students reach their goals (whether “fluent enough” or totally fluent), click here to learn more!
Remember, the key to success for students is to find a balance between challenging themselves and being kind to themselves. By setting achievable goals and celebrating small victories, they can make significant progress in your English language journey!