This book addresses what kind of analysis of spoken language is appropriate to the assessment and fostering of fluency at the various stages of a student's development. It is easy to define fluency in general terms, but it is difficult to discern what linguistic and paralinguistic options are involved. This book begins by exploring perceptions of fluency to understand their common denominators. It goes on to pinpoint the specific features that promote fluency while emphasizing its relative and interactional nature. These analyses produce both a methodological framework and a pedagogical strategy, illustrated by sample classroom activities. Language teachers, applied linguists, linguists, and their students will find this book an accessible and useful companion to the teaching and study of oral language, with French as its domain of application. Chapter titles include the following: "Fluency and Dictionary Definitions: A Stepping Stone"; "Interlocutors' Perception of Fluency: Aspects and International Impact"; "Factors of Fluency: A Framework for Teaching/Learning"; "Relativity and Negotiation in Verbal Interactions"; "Discourse/Form Features of Verbal Fluency: Spontaneous Speech"; "Discourse/Form Features of Verbal Fluency: Planned Speech"; "Paralinguistic Features and Fluency." Contains extensive references and a detailed index. (Author/KFT)