Day 29: Teaching Speaking — Fluency Builders and Games
Promise
After this page you can run fluency games, like 4-3-2, Taboo and story chains, that make learners speak more smoothly.
Audience: New and trainee English teachers in Réunion (French first language), plain English A2–B1. Context: planning and teaching English lessons to adults.
Time to read: 8 minutes · Format: web page
Before you start
You will be able to: explain the difference between fluency and accuracy, run a 4-3-2 drill, and choose a fluency game for a level.
Three words you need first:
- fluency — speaking smoothly, without long pauses.
- 4-3-2 — telling the same story three times in 4, 3, then 2 minutes.
- delayed correction — correcting after the task, not during it.
You need: a timer (a phone is fine).
Below is my original lesson, unchanged, with all its interactive exercises. The lecture notes come after it.
Teaching Speaking —
Fluency Builders and Games
“Fluency isn’t perfection. It’s speed, smoothness, and confidence. Here’s how to build it with games, timers, and real communication.”
Fluency vs. Accuracy
Fluency and accuracy are both important, but they require different teaching approaches.
TES Fluency Timer
Task: Speak for 1 minute on the topic. The timer tracks your words per minute (WPM).
Topic: “Describe your favorite hobby.”
“Fluency improves 3x faster with timed tasks and real-time feedback.”
TES tip: Use 1-minute challenges to build confidence.
Fluency Games — Interactive Practice
Games make fluency practice fun and low-pressure:
TES 4-3-2 Fluency Drill
Task: Speak about the topic for 4 minutes, then 3, then 2. Focus on smoothness, not perfection.
Topic: “A time you felt proud.”
“4-3-2 drills improve speaking speed by 40% and reduce hesitation by 30%.”
TES tip: Record students in the 2-minute round to track progress.
Strategies — From the Library
Library Tip: Use the 3-2-1 technique:
- 3 minutes: Full description
- 2 minutes: Key points only
- 1 minute: Summary
This builds adaptability and confidence.
Library Tip: For fluency tasks, delay correction until after the task. Focus on:
- Communication first
- Pattern errors (not one-offs)
- Self-correction prompts
This maintains psychological safety.
Practice — 10-Minute TES Tasks
Design a 4-3-2 drill for B1 students on the topic “My Favorite Movie”. Include:
- A warm-up question
- Three time limits (4, 3, 2 minutes)
- A reflection question
Topic: My Favorite Movie
- Warm-up (2 min): “What’s one movie you’ve watched 3+ times? Why?”
- Round 1 (4 min): Full description (characters, plot, feelings)
- Round 2 (3 min): Key points only (main characters + plot)
- Round 3 (2 min): Summary (title + one reason you love it)
- Reflection: “Which round felt most natural? Why?”
Why it works: Forces students to prioritize information and reduce hesitation.
Create a Taboo game for B2 students. Include:
- 5 target words
- 3 forbidden words for each
- A scoring system
Design a story chain activity for A2 students. Include:
- A starter sentence
- 3-5 turns per student
- A wrap-up task
Resources — Library + Cambridge/Oxford
Speaking Activities
British Council’s collection of fluency-building activities for all levels.
teachingenglish.org.uk/speaking/fluencyFluency Games
Oxford’s interactive speaking games with audio and scoring.
oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/speaking-gamesFluency Builders
Library’s collection of fluency activities with video demonstrations and lesson plans.
yourlibrary.com/fluencyFluency isn’t about being perfect—it’s about being understood.
The most effective fluency builders:
- Reduce pressure with games and timers
- Focus on communication over accuracy
- Use real topics students care about
Your Monday challenge: Replace one accuracy-focused activity with a fluency game. Even small changes build confidence.
Teaching Writing — Process, Product, Purpose
“Writing isn’t grammar. It’s process (how we write), product (what we create), and purpose (why we write).”
Lecture notes
Segment 1 — Fluency is not accuracy
Fluency is speed, smoothness and confidence. Accuracy is correct grammar and words. Both matter, but you train them in different activities. In a fluency activity, the goal is to keep talking.
Visual 1 — Two columns
What it shows: fluency and accuracy.
How to draw it: Draw two columns.
The point it makes obvious: Each activity has one main goal.
FLUENCY: speed, smoothness, confidence ACCURACY: correct grammar, words, sounds
EXAMPLE (learner in Réunion): a learner talks for one minute about the market in Saint-Paul and keeps going after small errors.
Check 1: In a fluency task, what matters most?
Show the answer
Next: the 4-3-2 drill.
Segment 2 — The 4-3-2 drill
A learner tells the same story to three partners, in 4, then 3, then 2 minutes. Each time the content is the same but the time is shorter, so speech becomes faster and smoother. The activity is from Keith Maurice (1983) and was studied by Paul Nation (1989).
Visual 2 — Timeline
What it shows: the 4-3-2 drill.
How to draw it: Draw three bars, each shorter.
The point it makes obvious: Same story, less time.
Partner A [####] 4 min Partner B [###] 3 min Partner C [##] 2 min
EXAMPLE (learner in Réunion): topic “A time you felt proud”: the third telling is shorter and has fewer pauses.
Check 2: Does the story change in each round?
Show the answer
Next: games.
Segment 3 — Fluency games
Games lower the pressure. In Taboo, learners describe a word without saying some forbidden words. In a story chain, each person adds one sentence. Choose the game for the level: story chains for A2, Taboo for B1 and B2.
Visual 3 — Card
What it shows: a Taboo card.
How to draw it: Write the target word at the top and three forbidden words below.
The point it makes obvious: Learners must find other words.
TARGET: beach forbidden: sea, sand, swim
EXAMPLE (learner in Réunion): “It’s a place near the water in Saint-Gilles where people lie in the sun.” Answer: beach.
Check 3: Which game is better for A2: Taboo or story chain?
Show the answer
Last: correction.
Segment 4 — Correct after, not during
In fluency work, note errors while you listen. After the task, write a few on the board without names and correct them together. Focus on errors many learners make, not one-off slips.
Visual 4 — Steps
What it shows: delayed correction.
How to draw it: Draw three boxes.
The point it makes obvious: Correction comes last.
[speak] -> [teacher notes errors] -> [class corrects together]
EXAMPLE (classroom): on the board: “I am agree” becomes “I agree”.
Check 4: Should you write the learner’s name next to the error?
Show the answer
Worked example — plan a 4-3-2 drill for B1
The task: Topic: my favourite film.
| Step | What happens | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Warm-up: “Which film have you watched more than three times?” | Ideas come first. |
| 2 | Rounds: 4, 3, 2 minutes with new partners. | Same story, less time. |
| 3 | Reflection: “Which round felt easiest? Why?” | Learners notice their progress. |
Self-explanation prompt: Why new partners? The listener has not heard the story, so it is a real message.
Your turn (guided): Try: plan a story chain for A2. (Answer: starter “Yesterday I went to the market…”, three turns each, then the class retells the story.)
Common mistakes
| Mistake | Why it happens | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Stopping learners to correct | Teachers want accuracy. | Note errors, correct after. |
| Same partner every round | It is easier to organise. | Move learners each round. |
| Game too hard for the level | Taboo looks fun. | Match the game to the level. |
Glossary
| Term | Plain definition | Where first used |
|---|---|---|
| fluency | smooth, fast speaking | Before you start |
| 4-3-2 | same story in 4, 3, 2 minutes | Before you start |
| delayed correction | correcting after the task | Before you start |
| Taboo | describe a word without forbidden words | Segment 3 |
| story chain | each person adds one sentence | Segment 3 |
Quick review
- What are the times in a 4-3-2 drill?
- Who first described the 4-3-2 activity?
- Name two fluency games.
- When do you correct in a fluency task?
- Why change partners?
Show all five answers
2) Keith Maurice (1983).
3) For example Taboo and story chain.
4) After the task.
5) The listener hears a new story, so the message is real.
Fact check, 29 October 2026
Checked: the 4-3-2 activity was described by Keith Maurice (1983) and studied by Paul Nation, “Improving speaking fluency” (System, 1989). The “80+ words per minute” goal in the timer is a rough guide only. The exact percentages in the post (for example “3x”, “40%”, “60%”) and the passages shown as quotations from Cambridge English, Oxford University Press, the British Council and the “Sourov Deb Library” could not be found as published sources: UNSOURCED. Treat them as my rough classroom estimates, not research results. Some resource links in the original lesson no longer work (the British Council “knowledge for teaching” page returns “not found”), and the “yourlibrary.com” and Oxford “speaking games” addresses are not real pages. Code fix: the “Stop Drill” button did not stop the timer (the timer was not visible to the stop code); it now stops it.
Status: rewritten in lecture-notes style on 29 October 2026. Not tested with readers.