Jon Henry Bello Ordoñez

BSEd 3D1

EM10: Teaching Speaking and Writing

MECHANICAL, MEANINGFUL, AND COMMUNICATIVE DRILLS

In the decades of 1940s through the 1960s, language pedagogy was obsessed with the drill. Often great proportions of the class time were spent drilling.

A drill may be defined as a technique that focuses on a minimal number of language forms through some type of repetition.

Drills are commonly done: - chorally - individually

They can take the form of: - simple repetition drills - substitution drills - moving substitution drill

In referring to structural pattern drills, Paulston and Bruder (1976) used three categories:- Mechanical- Meaningful- Communicative

Mechanical drills have only one response from a student. Meaningful drills may have a predicted response or a limited of possible responses. Communicative drills offers the possibility of an open response and negotiation of meaning.

CONTROLLED TO FREE TECHNIQUES

Controlled- Teacher-centered- Manipulative- Structured- Predicted student responses- Pre-planned objectives- Set curriculum

Free- Student-centered- Communicative

- Open-ended- Unpredicted responses- Negotiated objectives- Cooperative curriculum

TAXONOMY OF TECHNIQUES

1. Controlled Techniques

-Warm-up

-Setting

-Organizational

-Content explanation

2. Semi-controlled Techniques

-Brainstorming

-Storytelling

-Q & A, Referential

-Cued narrative/dialogue

-Information transfer

-Information exchange

-Wrap-up

-Narration/exposition

-Preparation

3. Free Techniques

-Role-play

-Games

-Report

-Problem-solving

-Drama

-Simulation