The last dimension of assessment is the Smoothness dimension. Smoothness is about realizing your communication goals without breaking the flow of the social interaction. This is important, because at the end of they, we’re playing the social interaction game, and social fluency is ultimately what matters.
After you’ve watched this video, post a reflection to
#completions for credit. [5A] The “Smooth Ask” Procedure
The most important tool in your toolkit is the question “How do you say?” since this is the phrase you say to acquire new words and expressions to expand your agency.
That being said, it’s important to master the asking of this question in a way that is smooth. Instead of stalling out each time you can’t find a word, practice asking the question in a way that keeps the flow of conversation going.
Use the audio below to input the movement into your muscle memory, and then practice asking the question over and over again with your practice partner until it becomes habit.
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After you’ve drilled the Smooth ask and practiced it in conversation with a native speaker, post a reflection to the
#completions channel. [5B] The Scorekeeping Technique
Smoothness is a function of how frequently you do “Flowbreakers”. Flowbreakers fall into three basic categories - character breakers, stammers and long pauses. We already addressed the “long pause” issue with the Simple Speak and Smooth Ask techniques.
The other Flowbreakers can be smoothed out by repeatedly rehearsing a story narration or role play scene. On each run, have your practice partner keep score of how many times you do a specific flow breaker, and aim to do slightly fewer each time around so you can gradually improve your performance.
Only focus on one flow breaker at a time, as it requires a lot of focus to undo a habit, so attempting more than one at once can be counterproductive.
You can also practice scorekeeping by yourself through self-recording.
After you’ve smoothed out a story or scene with the scorekeeping technique, share a reflection on the experience to the
#completions channel. Then move on to the next lesson. [6] Sameness