Fluency and Cohesion

Overview

In this one-to-one lesson, the student engages in structured speaking activities designed to build spoken fluency and practise cohesive devices, developing the confidence and language precision required for IB English oral assessments.

Learning intentions

• Students will develop spoken fluency through timed, extended responses.
• Students will use cohesive devices and discourse markers to link ideas clearly.
• Students will reflect on their own speaking patterns and identify areas for improvement.

Success criteria

• I can speak on a topic for at least 90 seconds without significant pausing or self-correction.
• I can use a range of discourse markers (e.g. "furthermore," "in contrast," "as a result") to connect ideas.
• I can identify moments in my speech where cohesion could be strengthened.
• I can respond to follow-up questions with developed, structured answers.

Curriculum links

• IB MYP English Language and Acquisition — oral communication and spoken interaction skills.
• IB DP Language A: Language and Literature — individual oral and higher-order speaking competencies.
• Use of language as a tool for communication, focusing on register, coherence, and audience awareness.
• Development of the IB learner profile attribute of being a communicator — expressing ideas confidently and clearly.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

0–5 mins | Warm-up: Opinion quick-fire Pose three short, age-appropriate opinion prompts (e.g. "Should social media be regulated?" or "Is celebrity culture harmful?"). The student responds in 20–30 seconds each, without preparation. This loosens up spoken language and establishes a baseline for fluency at the start of the session.

5–15 mins | Explicit focus — discourse markers Present a short reference card listing cohesive devices grouped by function: adding ideas, contrasting, sequencing, and cause/effect. Model a short spoken response using several of these deliberately, then ask the student to identify which markers were used and why. Briefly discuss how these devices signal structure to a listener and improve overall coherence in spoken English.

15–30 mins | Structured monologue practice Give the student a stimulus — a short image, quotation, or headline relevant to a theme explored earlier in the unit (e.g. identity, power, or technology). Allow two minutes of silent preparation with bullet-point notes only. The student then speaks for 90 seconds to two minutes, aiming to use at least four cohesive devices. Record the response (phone or laptop) so it can be reviewed. As teacher, note instances of strong cohesion and moments where ideas were dropped or unclear.

30–40 mins | Playback and self-evaluation Play back the recording together. Provide the student with a simple self-evaluation checklist: fluency (pace, pausing), cohesion (use of linking language), and clarity (were ideas easy to follow?). The student comments first, then the teacher offers targeted, specific feedback. Focus on one or two precise improvements rather than a broad list, keeping confidence high in this one-to-one setting.

40–52 mins | Dialogue and extended interaction Shift into a structured discussion format. Introduce a short, thought-provoking question linked to a text or theme from the unit. The teacher takes an active role as interlocutor — asking probing follow-up questions ("Can you develop that idea?", "What evidence might support that?") to stretch the student's responses. Encourage the student to use cohesive devices in spontaneous, conversational speech, not just planned monologues. This mirrors the interactive demand of the IB individual oral.

52–58 mins | Targeted re-do Based on feedback from the monologue activity, the student selects one speaking goal (e.g. "I will use three contrast markers") and delivers a short 60-second response on a new prompt. This low-stakes repetition reinforces the session's key skill and gives the student a clear sense of progress.

58–60 mins | Reflection and next steps The student identifies one strength and one target from today's lesson and records these in a speaking log or journal. Preview lesson 6, noting that the focus will shift towards adapting tone and register for different audiences and purposes.

Resources

• Discourse marker reference card (teacher-prepared, grouped by function)
• Stimulus materials: one image, one short quotation, one headline on a unit-relevant theme
• Recording device (smartphone, laptop, or tablet)
• Self-evaluation checklist (fluency, cohesion, clarity — simple three-column format)
• Student speaking log or reflective journal
• Timer (visible to the student during monologue tasks)

Assessment

• Formative observation during structured monologue and dialogue activities, focusing on use of cohesive devices and fluency.
• Student self-evaluation using the checklist following playback, encouraging metacognitive awareness of spoken performance.
• Speaking log entry at the close of the lesson serves as a written record of the student's self-identified targets, informing planning for lesson 6.

Differentiation

• Support: provide sentence starters that incorporate discourse markers (e.g. "On the other hand, I think…") to scaffold initial attempts; reduce the minimum speaking time to 60 seconds if anxiety around fluency is evident.
• Extension: challenge the student to vary their discourse markers, avoiding repetition across the monologue and dialogue tasks; introduce more nuanced devices such as "notwithstanding," "by the same token," or "conversely."
• EAL/SEN: allow slightly longer preparation time before the monologue; offer the stimulus in written form as well as visual to reduce cognitive load; focus feedback on two cohesive devices rather than the full range.
• Confidence building: in a one-to-one context, remind the student regularly that mistakes are part of the learning process; frame all feedback in terms of growth rather than deficit.