Are you fluent?

[letrangere]

Earlier on today someone was kind, correction, mad enough to suggest I was. I disagreed vehemently at the time but it started me thinking, how does one define "fluency", especially oral fluency? It's so much harder to measure than reading or writing ability.

Margaret

[Patf]

I suppose different people will mean different things by "fluent." If you mean words pouring out in a torrent, I'm fluent. But my accent is only average and nearly every word is grammatically incorrect. I have the attitude " dive in and hope for the best." Pat. (user name changed from Eddie.)

[Pucette<P><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Pucette<FONT><P><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt">"Qui ne connaît pas la campagne lhiver, ne connaît pas la campagne et ne connaît pas]

This was a cheering thread for me, I thought fluent meant using the language as one would use one's own (correctly or aware of one's abuses and expressing oneself with the same degree of precision) and certainly don't do that, but Collins says "able to speak or write a specified foreign language with facility" which I do. I even checked Collins Robert which translates it to "parler couramment", less imposing.
It's being able to chat about any topic with any number of people, no? And to test it a traditional oral exam where one reads or listens to something and then discusses it with the examiner?

[Jmason]

Apologies if I have stuck this in the wrong place, but am new to the whole forum/message board scenario.

I am currently struggling to get my head around the language. We are looking to buy a permanent home in France and my attempts at contacting agents indicates that the translation 'engines' available produce some interesting phrases.

All I am trying to say is, "Can you provide me with some further information on xxxxxx?", and have got as far as, "Est-ce que vous donnez moi l'information pour ......"

Any help would be appreciated!!!!