1. Teaching accuracy: drilling
MA lecture / ELT
2 December 2011

2. When learners are given intensive practice of the new structure / language
It is carefully guided and strictly controlled by the teacher
Both form and meaning must be correctly formed and consolidated

3. Accuracy stage
possibility of error is reduced to minimum - everything has to be corrected
SS are given confidence in using the new language
SS are given a chance to increase speed
to practice form, meaning (pron.)
SS can concentrate on only one language item / problem at a time

4. This stage must be done immediately after presentation = accurate reproduction
 Language must stay within students’ grasp that is, when a new piece of grammar is taught, there should be no new vocabulary!!!
 should be done quickly and effectively, teacher should demand a high degree of accuracy from SS
→ moving from easier to more difficult drills / exercises

5. Drilling: a brief history
derives from behaviourists’ theory (Skinner):
stimulus -response - reinforcement
can be mechanical, boring, meaningless - this is what we can avoid and make drilling:
- realistic
- meaningful
- introduced with an appropriate expression
- used for a few minutes only
- used as a first stage only
It obviously helps students acquire fluency - a desired goal in CLT
Certain patterns must become automatic! (chunks!)

6. Types of drill

7. REPTITION DRILL T: Let’s go swimming! S: Let’s go swimming!
T: Let’s go dancing!
S: Let’s go dancing.
→ more meaningful with word prompt only
T: cinema
S: Let’s go to the cinema!

8. SIMPLE SUBSTITUTION T: How many chairs are there in here?
S: There are 4 chairs.
T: tables
S1: How many tables are there in here?
S2: There is only one table in here.
Prompts: windows, desks, boards, etc.

9. VARIABLE SUBSTITUTION DRILL
T: I have been to Dublin.
S: I have been to Dublin.
T: Susan
S: Susan has been to Dublin.
T: Susan and her husband
S: Susan and her husband have been to Dublin.

10. PROGRESSIVE SUBSTITUTION DRILL
Conditional:
It sometimes happens that Martha washes up the dishes, then her husband, John, is happy.
Prompts:
T: sometimes it happens. If Martha…..
S: If Martha does the washing up, John is happy.
T: It is John’s wish – perhaps she does it:
S: If Martha did the washing up, her husband would be happy.
T: Martha didn’t do it
S: If Martha had done the washing up, John would have been happy.

11. SITUATIONALISED DRILL
Prompts: can be on board
(What a pity! That’s great, Oh, that’s all right!)
T: I can’t come to the party!
S: What a pity!
T: I can lend you some money.
S: That’s great!
T: I have a new boyfriend.
S: ……………………………
T: Peter has missed the bus.
S:…………………………….
T: Sorry, I’m late.
S: …………………………….

12. TRANSFORMATION DRILL Prompt: T: I went to see Harry Potter.
S: Which film did you go to see?
T: Robby Williams
S: Which singer did you go to see?
Students can give prompts: Lord of the Rings, U2, Hamlet, etc.

13. CLUASE COMBINATION DRILL
T: He had a sore throat. He sang at the concert.
S: Although he had a sore throat, he…
T: raining, go on a trip
S: Although it was raining, he went on a trip.
T: headache, meeting, etc…

14. BALLOON TABLES A FEW MILK BEER A LITTLE A FEW MILK BEER A LITTLE
I’VE BEEN
THEY’VE BEEN
MILK
BEER
APPLES
CHAIRS
A LITTLE
A FEW
I’VE BEEN
THEY’VE BEEN
MILK
BEER
APPLES
CHAIRS
A LITTLE
[s1] 
 [s1]

15. Picture prompts

21. Oral Drill types – in free practice
1, Guessing Drills
e.g. Think of your favourite colour/ country / pop group / animal / etc
others are guessing - meanwhile practise the structure
e.g. Think of a foreign country your are going to visit. Which one is it?
S1 “Are you going to visit Japan?”
S2 “ No, I’m not.

22. Oral drills / free practice
2, Imaginary situation
similar to # 1 - information gap!!!!
e.g. I’ve just bought a Mercedes. I haven’t got much money left.
- Have you bought a yet? (suppose S1 has a list of what he’s bought)
I suppose you have bought a , haven’t you?

23. Oral drills / free practice
Student A Student B 33
2234
4576 61
675
145
879
701
123 45
204 76

24. Six principles to do drilling
1, Learners have to know what they are saying
- if they repeat structures but they don’t understand what it expresses - waste of time
meaningful drill = cannot be performed correctly without an understanding of the meaning of what is said
mechanical drill = SS produce correct examples without needing to think about the meaning of the sentences

25. Six principles to do drilling
2, Let the learners hear the pattern several times - teacher = model
3, Break down a long utterance or expression into smaller parts / segments
4, Do not force individuals to speak until there had been some repetition in chorus
5, Keep the drill rapid and short (40-60 seconds for each drill) - Do not give more than 6 drills on one occasion
6, Give clear gestures to show who is to speak rather than give the names only

26. Chain drills
to practise a particular structure over and over again either in a game format or through personalisation.
e.g. I’m Csilla and I’d like to go to Chile. Next: My name is Béla and I would like to go to Brazil - etc. memory element!!!
Possible structures to practice: I like doing.... I have never done/been I want/always wanted to do, / I would love to etc...

27. Seminar work Drills: word / phrase / sentence prompts
Pictures prompts / flashcards
Mimes
Audio prompts
Practising giving prompts for different structures

28. READING
Using Repetition Drills
Drilling - Judicious Use of Brute Force in the ESL Classroom
Drilling can be fun: