How to use Rhymes, Rhythms and songs

Why use Drill or Songs? Emphasis on the spoken form of language has made it necessary to create new techniques. In recent times, use of drills and exercises has been felt vital.

Drills Drills are different from mere repetition. Here drills mean structural or pattern drills primarily intended for oral practice. It is through GUIDED REPITITION and MANIPULATION that a language could be mastered and the features of the target language developed as habit.

Drills involve controlled oral practice. Drills should be systematic to develop habits unconsciously. Drills chosen should suit the interest and maturity levels of the learners.

Two way process Drill has two parts i) What the student hears – stimulus or input ii) What the student does – response or output

Types of Drill According to Bratt and Bruder (1976) drills can be classified into three categories, viz Mechanical Manipulative Communicative

Mechanical Drill Learner simply repeats after teacher. Learners participation in practicing the drills, though active, is purely mechanical. Manipulation required on part of the learner is least or nil.

On the basis of response of the learner Mechanical drill be categorized viz – i) Simple repetition ii) Repetition by using cues

Example This is a book. – Teacher (stimulus) This is a book. - Student (response) This is a book. - Teacher (reinforcement) Simple Repetition

Repetition by using cues Simple Substitute drill T – I don’t like eggs. S - I don’t like eggs. T – Tea S – I don’t like Tea. T – Milk S – I don’t like Milk.

Variable substitution drill T – There is …….on the table. (pen) S – There is a pen on the table. T – orange S – There is an orange on the table. T – flowers S – There are flowers on the table.

Progressive substitution drill T – I had the house painted. S – I had the house painted. T – He (pronoun) S – He had the house painted. T – door (noun) S – He had the door painted. T – repaired ( verb) S – He had the door repaired.

Compare the first and the last sentence. I had the house painted. He had the door repaired.

Manipulative Drill In this drill PRODUCTION aspect is more important. While following the model provided by the teacher, the learner, has to manipulate, according to the instructions given.

Second language involves the mastery of all the four language skills, viz L,S,R,W L S R W can be broadly categorized into two – Receptive – Listening and Reading Productive – Speaking and writing

Learner would do Learner can get a control of receptive skills through mechanical drills. He would be able to understand comprehension to the extent of the structures and vocabulary presented.

Learner won’t do Won’t be able to manipulate the given structure into related structure Won’t be able to use the known vocabulary in different context. This would be possible through Manipulative drill

How it works Response is controlled But there can be more than one way of giving the correct answer. Because information necessary for the response is already present in the stimulus.

Example T- she is inside S- she is inside L 1 T – house input S – she is in the house L 2 T – Make question S – Is she in the house ? Where is she ? L 3

Response of L 1 is Mechanical / simple repetition L 2 is also mechanical using cues in proper place L 3 is manipulative

Transformation drill Pair work I can swim. (make question) Can you swim? I can speak English. Can you speak English?

Communicative Drill Mechanical and Manipulative drills help in mastering what is taught. But the ultimate aim of language teaching is – to make the learner communicate freely, thus language teaching aims at developing communicative competence, that communicative drill can develop.

Example T – Raman came to our house. Raman sang a song. S – Raman came to our house and sang a song. Raman who came to our house sang a song.

Activities Role play Dialogue delivery

Pro’s & Con’s Why drill is needed? Pronunciation work Energy booster, activate the student Practice a learning or grammar point At the end of the lesson for fun (poem)

Make question from the words in brackets. ( present perfect tense) 1.(ever/ride/horse?)Have you ever ridden a horse? 2.(ever/be/ California?) ……………………………………………… ………………… 3.( ever/run/marathon?) …………………………………………… ……………………….

4.(ever/speak/famous person?)……………………………………… ………………………… 5.(most beautiful place/ever/visit?) ……………………………………………… ………… 6.(always/live/in this town?) …………………………………………… ……………….

Tell the students to use the following verbs if needed – use,carry,break,eat,see Washable It can be washed Unbreakable …………………………………………. Edible …………………………………………. Unusable …………………………………………. Invisible…………………………………………. Portable………………………………………….

Disadvantages Time consuming Artificial Solution Keep it short Make it fun

Disappearing sentence Wipe off one word at a time Ask the students to repeat each time and continue until all the sentence is wiped off. I’d’ve gone to the party if I’d known.

……………………gone to the party if I’d known.

……………………………to the party if I’d known.

………………………………the party if I’d known.

…………………………… party if I’d known.

………………………………. if I’d known.

………………………………………………. I’d known.

…………………………………………… known.

………………………………………………… ……………………………………….

Here is the rhythm, here’s the rap 1,2,3,4,5,6, clap Here’s the rhythm, here’s the beat Keep that rhythm, in your feet Go for the rhythm, go for the fun 7,6,5,4,3,2, one Go for the rhythm, go for the rap 1,2,3,4,5,6, clap Go for the rhythm, go for the beat Hear that rhythm going down the street.