Improving english fluency : A colloquial-based intercultural design.

Abstract

In Colombia, a substantial issue concerning a deficiency in English proficiency as a foreign language exists, particularly in the realm of communicative skills. This problem is supported by various assessments, such as the ICFES and the EF EPI. The presence of this deficit in English communicative skills implies the emergence of a novel pedagogical requirement. Students are no longer responsive to conventional modes of communication, as the world they currently inhabit and the future they are destined for, diverge significantly from the formal linguistic structures typically imparted by academic institutions. Consequently, the primary objective of this pedagogical innovation proposal is to provide students with the tools necessary for more approachable ways of communication, achieved through the utilization of colloquialisms and a less formal manner of speech. Colloquialism, characterized by its prevalence in informal and casual discourse, represents the most frequently employed functional style of speech. However, colloquial language and its applications are deeply embedded in cultural contexts and how native speakers interact amongst themselves within their culture. Furthermore, the framework of this proposal leverages culture as a conduit to acquaint students with colloquial language, thereby fostering English fluency within an 11th-grade English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom.