Every time I go to a Zumba class, I’m reminded of the difference between accuracy and fluency in language teaching and language use. In Zumba, I’m usually not doing the moves correctly. The teacher leads with the right foot and I lead with the left. Move your right arm while leading with the left foot– and I’m doing the opposite. You get the point. But I keep moving because I want a good workout. This is fluency: when you keep going despite not doing it exactly right. Accuracy, on the other hand, is about trying to get it right, that is, trying to avoid mistakes. When you focus on accuracy in a second language, you inevitably slow down because you’re focusing on things like gender agreement, verb endings, etc. In language learning there should be room for working on both fluency and accuracy. Most formal learning situations, in my experience, focus obsessively on accuracy and students rarely get the chance to get a good (language) workout.