overflow-x:
color:#333;
font:13px/18px Helvetica, Arial, sans-
background-color:#F5F4F4;
/* General settings */
border-style:
vertical-align:
color:#2f64d2;
text-decoration:
a:hover{text-decoration:}
list-style:
/* prev. li: line height 20, but word dynamo link too tall then, changed to class word, spec. to this link */
line-height: 18
input,textarea,select{
font:100% Arial, Helvetica, sans-
vertical-align:
form,fieldset{
padding:0;
border-style:
input[type=submit]:hover{cursor:}
/* wrapper */
#topwrapper{
background-color: #262627 !
height: 24
padding-left:1
#botwrapper{
background: url(/app/r19971/img/topheavy_hdr_bg.png) repeat-x 0 -82
height: 60
width: 978
/* header */
width: 971
.header-holder{
background:url(/app/r19971/img/topheavy_hdr.png) no-repeat -17px -41
text-indent:-9999
margin:11px 15px 0 20
background:url(/app/r19971/img/Sprite_Hdr_Ftr.png) no-repeat -93px -102
text-indent:-9999
margin:21px 15px 0 4
height:100%;
#botwrapper .search-form,#seasonHdr .search-form{
padding:0 0 0;
#botwrapper .search-form .area-holder,#seasonHdr .search-form .area-holder{
background:url(/app/r19971/img/topheavy_hdr.png) no-repeat -11px -5
margin:0 13px 0 3
#botwrapper .search-form .area-holder input,#seasonHdr .search-form .area-holder input{
background:
line-height: 30px\9;
font-size:22
padding:0 16
#botwrapper .search-form .area-holder #q,#seasonHdr .search-form .area-holder #q{
background: url("/app/r19971/img/Sprite_Hdr_Ftr.png") no-repeat scroll -137px -61
#botwrapper .search-form .parent-active input,#seasonHdr .search-form .parent-active input{
color:#000000;
.search-holder .search-form .parent-active input{
color:#000000;
#botwrapper .search-form input[type="submit"],#seasonHdr .search-form input[type="submit"]{
text-indent:-9999
font-size:0;
line-height:0;
margin-top:-2
padding:0;
background:url(/app/r19971/img/topheavy_hdr.png)
no-repeat scroll -206px -40
width: 971
.botwrpreference{
background: url(/app/r19971/img/topheavy_hdr_bg.png) repeat-x 0 -354px transparent !
.botwrpthesaurus{
background: url(/app/r19971/img/topheavy_hdr_bg.png) repeat-x 0 -233px transparent !
.botwrpreference .logo{
background:url(/app/r19971/img/topheavy_hdr.png) no-repeat -17px -117
.botwrpthesaurus .logo{
background:url(/app/r19971/img/topheavy_hdr.png) no-repeat -17px -78
.botwrpthesaurus .search-form input[type="submit"]{
background:url(/app/r19971/img/topheavy_hdr.png)
no-repeat scroll -206px -110px transparent !
.botwrpreference .search-form input[type="submit"]{
background:url(/app/r19971/img/topheavy_hdr.png)
no-repeat scroll -206px -74px transparent !
/* menu */
padding:0;
list-style:
font-weight:
line-height:13
font-size:12
padding-top:4
padding:0 5
border-right:1px solid #
.menu li:first-child{
padding:0 5px 0 11
.menu a{color:#}
.menu .user{
border-left:
padding: 0 3px 0 3
.menu .prlogo,.menu .prelogo{
background:url(/app/r19971/img/topheavy_hdr.png)
no-repeat scroll -224px -225
padding-right: 0
.menu .prlogo{
background:url(/app/r19971/img/topheavy_hdr.png)
no-repeat scroll -224px -225
/*margin-top :-3*/
.menu .prelogo{
background-position: -152px -153
.menu .prli,.menu .prliu,.menu .prlout{
padding-left:0
.menu .prlout,.menu .prliu{
padding-left:5
.menu .prliu{
padding-left:5
padding-right:0
margin:0 0 0 0
padding:0;
list-style:
font-size:17
padding:3px 18px 3px 20
text-align:
font-family:
font-size: 13
font-weight:
:root #nav a{
padding:3px 20px\9;
text-align:
a.spanlast{
padding: 5px 30
.dictionary .dict a{
background: url("/app/r19971/img/topheavy_hdr_bg.png") repeat-x scroll 0 -56
.dict a:hover{
background: url("/app/r19971/img/topheavy_hdr_bg.png") repeat-x scroll 0 -30
.thes a:hover{
background: url("/app/r19971/img/topheavy_hdr_bg.png") repeat-x scroll 0 -302
.thesaurus .dict a:hover{
background: url("/app/r19971/img/topheavy_hdr_bg.png") repeat-x scroll 0 -302
.reference .dict a:hover{
background: url("/app/r19971/img/topheavy_hdr_bg.png") repeat-x scroll 0 -302
.thesaurus .thes a{
background: url("/app/r19971/img/topheavy_hdr_bg.png") repeat-x scroll 0 -207
.ref a:hover{
background: url("/app/r19971/img/topheavy_hdr_bg.png") repeat-x scroll 0 -302
.reference .ref a{
background: url("/app/r19971/img/topheavy_hdr_bg.png") repeat-x scroll 0 -328
.word a:hover{
background: url("/app/r19971/img/topheavy_hdr_bg.png") repeat-x scroll 0 -302
.quot a:hover{
background: url("/app/r19971/img/topheavy_hdr_bg.png") repeat-x scroll 0 -302
.trans a:hover{
background: url("/app/r19971/img/topheavy_hdr_bg.png") repeat-x scroll 0 -302
.span a:hover{
background: url("/app/r19971/img/topheavy_hdr_bg.png") repeat-x scroll 0 -302
.thvybrdr{
background: url("/app/r19971/img/topheavy_hdr.png") no-repeat scroll -232px -250
height: 24
display: inline-
/* id="botwrapper"
#botwrapper {
background: url("/app/r19971/img/topheavy_hdr_bg.png") repeat-x scroll 0px -82
height: 60
/* class="botwrpdictionary"> */
/* id="botwrapper"
#botwrapper {
background: url("/app/r19971/img/topheavy_hdr_bg.png") repeat-x scroll 0px -82
height: 60
/* class="botwrpdictionary"> */
&&&&&&&&&&&&What does it mean to be “fluent” in a language?
In 2011, the Arizona Board of Education considered if teachers who speak with an accent are fluent in English. (Read .) We have all heard how differently people in London, New York, or Baton Rouge speak English, but are those different speakers still fluent in English? Where does accent stop and fluency begin?
is defined as being able to speak and write quickly or easily in a given language. It comes from the Latin word fluentem meaning “to flow.” Accent comes from the Middle French meaning “particular mode of pronunciation.” In the original Latin accentus means ”a song added to speech.” Linguists define accents as only affecting pronunciation, not vocabulary or grammar. Rather, a
is a version of a language that affects pronunciation, a, and grammar and may interfere with comprehension.
Here’s a little of the backstory in Arizona: In the 1990s, there was a big push for bilingual education in Arizona because of the large Spanish-speaking population. Bilingual classrooms have a dual purpose: to help non-native English speakers perfect their English and to teach native English speakers another language in an immersive environment. Arizona recruited teachers from Latin America to help expand their bi-lingual schools, but in 2000, the state reversed the decision and all schools became English-only again. For the last decade, those teachers recruited from Latin America have continued teaching across Arizona. Read more about !
Last year, Arizona Board of Education decided that any teacher deemed not “fluent” in English cannot teach young, English-language learners. In this case, the state is interpreting an accent as disqualifying a teacher. The Board defines the changes in accent very minutely. For example, if a teacher says, “lebels” instead of “levels” that is determined to be an accent so serious that a teacher cannot teach.
Accent, obviously, can affect comprehensibility, but does it affect communication so much to make the teacher not fluent in English? Across the country, accents vary dramatically. A Minnesotan sounds as different from a Bostonian or a Virginian as they do from some non-native English speakers who speak with an accent. Do accents affect how you perceive fluency?
An additional note: Some readers may desire to address specific political perspectives. We rejoice at all manner of comments from you, our audience, but if feedback doesn’t pertain to the topic at hand, particularly the linguistic focus, we may use our discretion in deciding whether to publish such remarks. Generally, if comments are respectful and relevant, we will always happily publish them. For the enjoyment of everyone, please honor our simple criteria.
As a postgraduate engineering student from Australia I have found myself in a similar situation where the lecturer has a thorough and decent knowledge of the subject however, due to lack of effective communication skills – read as not strong enough English language skills as required – students have been distracted and reluctant to follow the him. Consequently, a fairly moderate subject has turned out to be a nightmare.
From my point of view, non-native speaker lecturers/teachers need to be concise and fluent enough in the language they teach such that it does not affect the learning process, enthusiasm or whatsoever associated with educating others, especially children and teenagers.
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