Using Drills for Language Learning
Many units in our Now We’re Talking textbook series have drill activities for grammar points. The use of drills in language learning can be a highly effective way to improve accuracy, speed, fluency, and confidence.
Using drills in the language learning classroom was once a prominent activity but fell out of favor in the 1970s. It was a key component of the Audiolingual Method, also known as the behaviorist approach, which was popular in language teaching from the 1940s to the 1960s. Students would spend a large portion of class time repeating sentences after the teacher. The results were somewhat disappointing, as students were often poorly prepared to use the language spontaneously outside the classroom.
However, the use of drills in the language classroom made a comeback around the turn of the century. Paul Nation, a prominent researcher and expert in the field of language teaching and learning, has written extensively on the role of drills in language learning. Nation suggests that drills can be a useful tool for language learners when used appropriately.
According to Nation, drills can be effective in language learning if they:
- Target high-frequency language: Drills should reinforce the most common grammar forms and vocabulary that language learners need to use most often.
- Offer immediate feedback: Drills should provide learners with immediate feedback on their performance to help them identify areas for improvement and to reinforce correct language use.
- Incorporate variation: Drills should be varied to prevent learners from simply memorizing responses. This can be done by changing the order of words, using different tenses or forms, or by introducing new vocabulary.
- Are combined with other activities: Drills should be used in combination with other activities such as reading, listening, and speaking to provide a more comprehensive and balanced approach to language learning.
Our drill activities generally follow these recommendations. Here is a sample taken from here:
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Practice 1: [Review the pictures, vocabulary and grammar for the lesson] Practice 2: Using ‘There is’ or ‘There are’ identify the objects AND the colors. Ex. There are three blue bottles. There is one brown purse. There are four keys. (etc.) Practice 3: Drill Take turns with a partner. See how quickly you can say all 12 items. Your partner should time you. Write your time in Time 1. Do the drill again. Try to beat your time with each practice. Time 1: _____ Time 2: _______ Time 3: _______ |
This activity gives students sufficient time to use the target grammar (there is/there are) in a way where rote memory is not possible. With each sentence, the student needs to recall the vocabulary and make sure the proper grammar form is used.
When used correctly, drills can give the following benefits:
- Improved Accuracy: Drills can help learners improve their accuracy in grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and other areas. Regular practice helps learners produce correct forms and structures automatically.
- Increased Confidence: With increased accuracy comes increased confidence. As learners master the drills, they become more confident in their ability to communicate effectively in the target language.
- Faster Learning: Drills provide learners with focused practice that allows them to quickly identify areas where they need improvement. By targeting specific areas of weakness, learners can make rapid progress.
- Better Retention: The repetition involved in drills helps learners retain what they have learned. Regular practice strengthens memory and helps learners internalize grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation.
- Improved Fluency: By practicing drills, learners develop the ability to use the target language more fluidly and naturally. This leads to greater fluency and ease of communication.
- Enhanced Communication: Drills can help learners develop the ability to understand and produce the target language more accurately and efficiently. This can lead to improved communication with native speakers and greater proficiency in the language overall.
Unlike some other activities, specific drill exercises can be revisited throughout the semester. With the ample practice that these exercises give, we can realistically expect students to incorporate the grammar forms into their speaking by the end of the semester.
References
Paul Nation (2007) The Four Strands, Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, 1:1, 2-13, DOI: 10.2167/illt039.0
Jack C. Richards (2014). Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching, 3rd Edition. Cambridge Language Teaching.
Tags: Speaking drills; Grammar drills; Language learning
There is/There are drills
Practice 1: Using ‘There is’ or ‘There are,’ identify the objects and the number of objects in the pictures below.
Ex. There are two wallets. There is one necklace. There are four keys.
Practice 2: Using ‘There is’ or ‘There are,’ identify all the objects AND the colors.
Ex. There are three blue water bottles. There is one brown purse. There are four gray keys.
Practice 3: Drill
Take turns with a partner. See how quickly you can say all 12 items. Your partner should time you. All the sentences should be correct!
Write your time in Time 1.
Do the drill again. Try to beat your time with each practice.
Time 1: _____ Time 2: _______ Time 3: _______
Teacher Notes
This drill is to help students gain fluency and accuracy in ‘there is’/’there are’ grammar, adjective order (numbers and colors), and vocabulary (common possessions).
Practice 1: Have the students name the objects and colors. Note the colors that might be confused (gray vs. silver, pink vs. purple, and orange vs. brown). See the Answer Key below.
Practice 2: In pairs, the students should go through all the pictures while noting the number and color of each item(s). Have the students pay careful attention to using ‘there is’ and ‘there are’ correctly.
Practice 3: Now the students are ready for the drills. Each student should time the other to see how quickly the student can say all 12 items correctly. Ideally, students will decrease their times with each drill. It may be helpful to have one student do the drill in front of the class to make sure all the students understand the procedure.
Answer Key
- Two purple hats
- One pink cellphone
- Two black wallets
- One silver necklace (or) One silver chain
- Three blue water bottles
- Three gold rings
- Four gray keys
- One red umbrella
- Three yellow gifts
- One brown purse
- One orange backpack
- One green notebook
This activity works great with the Blue Sage Learning Book:Now We’re Talking, Book 1 Unit 2.
Tags: Speaking, Grammar, There is and There are, Adjective order
Lesson Plan – B1 Unit 1 Ajectives
Fluency Practice: Be verb and Personality Adjectives
by Scott Miles
Drill 1
|
Positive |
Neutral |
Negative |
|
Bright Friendly Funny Gentle Helpful |
Busy Careful Cold Fearless Logical |
Boring Childish Controlling Forgetful Judgmental |
- Choose eight personality adjectives from the list that can complete each sentence about you. Write the two words for each sentence in the blanks.
- I am somewhat ____________. _______ _______
- I am very ________________. _______ _______
- I am not very _____________. _______ _______
- I am not _____________ at all. _______ _______
- Write down each word on eight cards (or slips of paper). Give them to your partner.
Your partner will shuffle the cards and read the words. For each word, say the complete sentence where the word fits.
- Drill: How fast can you do all 8 sentences? Time yourself, and write the answer in Time #1 below.
Next, try two more times. Try to increase your speed with each attempt.
Time #1 ____ Time #2 _____ Time #3 ______
Drill 2
|
Positive |
Neutral |
Negative |
|
Honest Kind Loving Lucky Warm |
Interesting Quiet Realistic Serious Shy |
Lazy Loud Mean Selfish Silly |
- Complete the following sentences with personality adjectives from the box above. Each sentence should have a different word.
- My best friend is very _________, but I am not.
- I am somewhat _________, but my best friend is not.
- My best friend is not ________ at all, but I am.
- I am not _______ at all, but my best friend is.
- My best friend is very _________, and I am too.
- I am not _______ at all, and my best friend isn’t either.
- Write the six vocabulary words on cards. Give them to your partner.
Your partner will shuffle the cards and read the words. Put each word in the correct sentence.
- Drill: How fast can you do all 6 sentences? Time yourself, and write the answer in Time #1.
Now try two more times. Try to increase your speed with each attempt.
Time #1 ____ Time #2 _____ Time #3 ______
Drill 3
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Personality (ex. forgetful, gentle, mean, etc.) |
I |
My best friend |
You |
|
|
|||
- Choose six personality words that you would like to practice. Write them in the first column (Personality).
- Complete the second column with your own information about how the personality word fits you. Choose one of the following for each word: quite, somewhat, or not very.
- Next, do the same about your best friend in the third column.
- Finish the final column with information about your partner. Ask your partner about each word.
E.g. Are you gentle? Are you outgoing? Etc.
- For each row, say sentences for each person. Follow the example.
Example: I am somewhat forgetful. My best friend is quite forgetful. You are not really forgetful.
- Drill: How fast can you say all the sentences in the chart? Time yourself, and write the answer in Time #1.
- Now try two more times. Try to increase your speed with each attempt.
Time #1 ____ Time #2 _____ Time #3 ______
For the Teacher
The above exercises are drills. These are activities which give learners ample practice with specific grammar and vocabulary to increase both fluency and accuracy.
Draw students’ attention to the grammar that they are practicing. In this case, it is using the correct Be verb (am, is, are) with different subjects.
When doing the final drill assignment, the target grammar should be perfect. If a student makes an error, she should repeat that sentence.
If possible, complete a chart with a volunteer student and model the activity. Make it clear to the students that the purpose is NOT to be faster than their partner. The purpose is to increase their own speed and accuracy.
This lesson coordinates well with Book 1 Unit 1 of Now We’re Talking.
Tags: Pronunciation, Speaking, Grammar
Tell me about your friends
by Scott Miles
A. Sam and Sam’s mother are talking about two of Sam’s friends: Rachel and Tom. Read the dialogue.
Sam’s Mother: So, tell me about your friends at school.
Sam: My friends? Well, my best friend is Tom. He’s an education major at my university. He’s a big guy. He’s tall and has brown hair. He’s really kind and generous. He’s a little shy, but he is a really honest person.
Sam’s Mother: He sounds interesting. Who else is your friend?
Sam: Rachel is another friend. She’s also a student, and she works part-time in a bookstore. She’s somewhat short. She’s pretty. She has long brown hair and green eyes! She’s a little quiet and serious, but she is hardworking and smart.
Sam’s Mother: It sounds like you have some interesting friends.
Sam: Yeah, I think so too.
- Following the example dialogue above, complete the following dialogues with information about your friends. Practice with a partner.
A: So, tell me about your friends at school.
B: My friends? Well, my best friend is ____________[name]. He’s a ______________ [occupation/major]. He/She _______________ and ________________ [physical description]. He’s/She’s _________ and __________ [personality]. He’s/She’s also a little _____________. [personality]
A: He/she sounds interesting. Who else is your friend?
B: Another friend is ___________ [name]. She’s/He’s a ___________ [occupation/major]. She/He ________________ and ____________ [physical description]. He’s/She’s ____________ and _____________ [personality]. He’s/She’s also a little _______________. [personality]
A: It sounds like you have some interesting friends.
B: Yeah, I think so too.
Teacher notes
This activity models an introduction dialogue and gives students a chance to do a similar dialogue with a partner.
This is a good supplement for Now We’re Talking, Book 1 Unit 1.
Procedure
A.
- Read the dialogue as a class.
- Underline the key information (the same information students will later substitute with their own information when they do the activity)
B.
- Model the activity by selecting a student and getting the information needed to complete the dialogue.
- After the information is completed, read the new dialogue with the student.
- Have students complete the dialogue and practice with a partner. If possible, have students change partners and repeat the activity.
Fluency Practice: Be verb and Personality Adjectives
by Scott Miles
Fluency Practice: Be verb and Personality Adjectives
Drill 1
|
Positive |
Neutral |
Negative |
|
Bright Friendly Funny Gentle Helpful |
Busy Careful Cold Fearless Logical |
Boring Childish Controlling Forgetful Judgmental |
- Choose eight personality adjectives from the list that can complete each sentence about you. Write the two words for each sentence in the blanks.
- I am somewhat ____________. _______ _______
- I am very ________________. _______ _______
- I am not very _____________. _______ _______
- I am not _____________ at all. _______ _______
- Write down each word on eight cards (or slips of paper). Give them to your partner.
Your partner will shuffle the cards and read the words. For each word, say the complete sentence where the word fits.
- Drill: How fast can you do all 8 sentences? Time yourself, and write the answer in Time #1 below.
Next, try two more times. Try to increase your speed with each attempt.
Time #1 ____ Time #2 _____ Time #3 ______
Drill 2
|
Positive |
Neutral |
Negative |
|
Honest Kind Loving Lucky Warm |
Interesting Quiet Realistic Serious Shy |
Lazy Loud Mean Selfish Silly |
- Complete the following sentences with personality adjectives from the box above. Each sentence should have a different word.
- My best friend is very _________, but I am not.
- I am somewhat _________, but my best friend is not.
- My best friend is not ________ at all, but I am.
- I am not _______ at all, but my best friend is.
- My best friend is very _________, and I am too.
- I am not _______ at all, and my best friend isn’t either.
- Write the six vocabulary words on cards. Give them to your partner.
Your partner will shuffle the cards and read the words. Put each word in the correct sentence.
- Drill: How fast can you do all 6 sentences? Time yourself, and write the answer in Time #1.
Now try two more times. Try to increase your speed with each attempt.
Time #1 ____ Time #2 _____ Time #3 ______
Drill 3
|
Personality (ex. forgetful, gentle, mean, etc.) |
I |
My best friend |
You |
|
|
|||
- Choose six personality words that you would like to practice. Write them in the first column (Personality).
- Complete the second column with your own information about how the personality word fits you. Choose one of the following for each word: quite, somewhat, or not very.
- Next, do the same about your best friend in the third column.
- Finish the final column with information about your partner. Ask your partner about each word.
E.g. Are you gentle? Are you outgoing? Etc.
- For each row, say sentences for each person. Follow the example.
Example: I am somewhat forgetful. My best friend is quite forgetful. You are not really forgetful.
- Drill: How fast can you say all the sentences in the chart? Time yourself, and write the answer in Time #1.
- Now try two more times. Try to increase your speed with each attempt.
Time #1 ____ Time #2 _____ Time #3 ______
For the Teacher
The above exercises are drills. These are activities which give learners ample practice with specific grammar and vocabulary to increase both fluency and accuracy. Draw students’ attention to the grammar that they are practicing. In this case, it is using the correct Be verb (am, is, are) with different subjects. When doing the final drill assignment, the target grammar should be perfect. If a student makes an error, she should repeat that sentence. If possible, complete a chart with a volunteer student and model the activity. Make it clear to the students that the purpose is NOT to be faster than their partner. The purpose is to increase their own speed and accuracy. This lesson coordinates well with Book 1 Unit 1 of Now We’re Talking.
English Words from French
by Scott Miles
The English language has taken in a large amount of words from other languages.
As a matter of fact, only about 26% of the current English vocabulary is purely from the earlier forms of English.
As the chart shows, French accounts for 29% of all words in the English vocabulary. The origin of some of this borrowed vocabulary is no secret, as the words retain a strong French flavor in spelling and/or pronunciation. Genre, croissant, déjà vu, and buffet are among many such examples.
However, there are many borrowed words that the average native-speaker of English might be surprised to find out were originally of French origin. Here is a short list of food vocabulary borrowed from French.
|
beef pork poultry |
caramel cream pastry pudding |
mayonnaise mustard Sauce salad |
casserole sausage soup stew |
Bon appétit!
Words to Describe People
by Scott Miles
The vocabulary in this supplement is commonly used to describe people.
They are words that appear in the 2000 most commonly used vocabulary in the English language, so they are essential for students at the basic to intermediate levels.
- First, review the words and circle the words that you do not know. You can underline the words that you think you might know, but aren’t sure.
- Next, with a partner (or partners), ask about the words you do not know.
What does _______ mean?
To explain the words in English, the following sentences might be helpful:
- It’s the opposite of __________.
- It’s almost the same as ___________.
- This is the kind of person who always ________
- This is the kind of person who never __________.
After listening to the explanation, guess the translation of the word in your first language. Later, you can look up the words in a dictionary to see if your guess is correct.
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Positive |
Neutral |
Negative |
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Bright Friendly Funny Gentle Helpful Honest Kind Loving Lucky Warm |
Busy Careful Childlike Cold Fearless Interesting Perfectionist Quiet Realistic Serious |
Boring Childish Controlling Forgetful Judgmental Lazy Loud Mean Selfish Silly |
Talk about the vocabulary. Which words describe you? Which words do not? Use the following sentence patterns.
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Now We’re Talking Textbook Activity Supplement
Book 1-Unit 1-Vocabulary: Describing People
This is a lesson plan that can complement the vocabulary activities on page 7 of Now We’re Talking Book 1, Unit 1.
Lesson Plan
- Distribute the handout (see above). Have the students look at the list of words and circle the ones they do not know. They can underline words they are not sure about, but have an idea of what they might mean. Tell the students to refrain from looking up words they do not know yet.
- In pairs or small groups, students then ask their partners about the words they circled and underlined. If another student knows the word, the student should try to explain the meaning. This is not an easy task for basic and even intermediate level students, but the given structures in the handout can be helpful. Do a few of the examples as a class before having the students try on their own.
If students have trouble finding a meaning (for example, they get stuck on a word that none of them know), they should call over the instructor to help with an explanation.
Once the word is explained, the student can write down their best guess of the translation of the word. Finally, after this part of the activity is over (or for homework), students can look up the words in a bilingual dictionary to see if their understanding was correct.
- In pairs or small groups, the students can discuss the vocabulary as it relates to themselves. If needed, review the sentence structures for this part of the exercise.
For Example, Such As, and Like
by Scott Miles
There are several options for introducing an example. These include for example, such as, and like.
Generally, here are the main points of using these phrases correctly:
- Use for example at the beginning of the sentence.
- Use such as and like in the middle of a sentence.
As you might guess, the above is an over-simplification that isn’t always true. However, it is a good guideline to help writers stay out of trouble most of the time.
Here are the details.
For example
This works as a transition (a conjunctive adverbial) to introduce an example to support a previous sentence. It is most common to use for example at the beginning of a sentence, and it should be followed by a comma.
There are many interesting things to do in my hometown. For example, you can go to one of our many parks.
Like other transitions, it can also go within a sentence, but it will always be marked by commas.
There are many interesting things to do in my hometown. You can go to one of our many parks, for example.
There are many interesting things to do in my hometown. You can, for example, go to one of our many parks.
Such as
Such as is a prepositional phrase, so it can’t be used the same way grammatically as for example. It is always followed by a noun phrase (or phrases). It is best used when introducing an example mid-sentence.
There are many interesting things to do in my hometown, such as going to one of our many parks.
We need to get several things from the store, such as hamburger, buns, and ketchup.
Use a comma before such as for sentences that can be complete without the examples.
Utah has many national parks, such as Zion Canyon and Bryce Canyon.
In this case, the sentence would be okay without the examples (a non-restrictive clause).
However, in the following sentence, the examples are crucial for the meaning of the sentence, so a comma is not used.
When going to parks such as Zion Canyon and Bryce Canyon, be prepared to pay an entrance fee.
Like
Using like for examples is common in spoken and informal English.
She enjoys outdoor activities like bicycling and hiking.
For academic and formal writing, use such as for this kind of sentence.
She enjoys outdoor activities, such as bicycling and hiking.
Learning Grammar after the Grammar Class Ends
“Grammar instruction, no matter how well designed, is unlikely to achieve immediate success.”
–Rod Ellis
There are two challenges for grammar learning and teaching. The first is remembering what was learned in class. Even though a student might learn the rule well enough to ace a grammar test, the memory of the rule is highly likely to fade from memory several weeks or months after the language course is completed. Teachers who have students continue from one semester to the next experience this often.
Another issue with grammar learning is being able to use what was learned in the classroom outside the classroom. When speaking with someone in ‘real life’ outside the classroom, the learner has a lot of things to keep in mind as she communicates. She needs to check her comprehension of what was said to her, think of the content of her response, the needed vocabulary (and how to pronounce it) and all the necessary grammar points as well. When attempting to communicate successfully, grammar tends to receive the lowest priority among the above. Grammar needs to be deeply internalized if the speaker hopes to use it correctly in spontaneous speech. The classroom can rarely give enough time for this process to happen.
With these challenges in mind, learners need strategies to continue to improve their grammar skills after their English classes are finished. Here are three suggestions for language learners.
- Extensive reading
- Continued explicit study
- Becoming “Grammatical”
Extensive Reading
I’ll have another post on extensive reading in the future (until then, this video can give a good overview), but in brief, here are the three components:
- Reading at least 20 minutes a day
- Reading books that are easy enough to understand without using a dictionary more than a few times per page
- Reading books that are enjoyable
How can this kind of reading help your grammar? Over time, extensive reading gives learners massive exposure to correct forms of grammar. In this way, learners develop a ‘sense’ of the language that is difficult, if not impossible, to get solely through explicit instruction. This exposure to the language also reinforces what the students have learned in the grammar classroom. Indeed, there are a number of second language scholars that claim this kind of practice is crucial for language mastery (Licthman & VanPatten, 2021).
Continued explicit study
Though students can learn a lot of grammar through extensive reading, there will be some grammar forms that are missed. This means students will need to find a way to directly study grammar on their own. One way to do this is for learners to keep their grammar books from their most recent ESL class and periodically review a chapter or two from time to time. There are also a number of quality YouTube videos that teach grammar.
Writing can also be a good way to help learners continue on their path to language mastery. Grammar check software that comes with all popular word-processing programs (Grammarly is particularly helpful) can give learners immediate feedback on grammar issues they may have. It is true that sometimes grammar checking software is incorrect, but most of the time, the suggestions are helpful.
Becoming ‘grammatical’
The last suggestion is becoming ‘grammatical.’ Rod Ellis, long considered one of the leaders of the field in learning and teaching grammar, coined the expression ‘grammatical.’ As Ellis writes, “grammar teaching needs to emphasize awareness of how grammatical features work rather than mastery. Learners who are aware of a grammatical structure are more likely to notice it when they subsequently encounter it. Thus, awareness can facilitate and trigger learning; it is a crutch that helps learners walk until they can do so by themselves.”
For the learner, this means occasionally taking the time to analyze the language encountered outside the language classroom. Learners can compare the language they read or hear with what they understand about English grammar. When noticing the text or native speaker saying something a little differently than they expect, the learner should investigate further. Native speakers rarely correct a learner’s mistakes, but when asked, most are happy to let the learner know how to say something correctly.
Grammar mastery is a long process. The number of hours spent in a classroom cannot come close to the total amount of time needed to become native-like. None of the above suggestions is a quick fix for learning, but following these practices for a few years will make a significant difference.
Sources
Black Cat Channel. (2019). What is Extensive Reading? [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IVVjwq5rBg
Ellis, R. (2003). Becoming grammatical. Language Teaching & Learning, 7, 124-232. https://www.impactseries.com/grammar/becoming.html
Licthman, K. & VanPatten, B. (2021). Was Krashen right? Forty years later. Foreign Language Annals, 54(2) 283-305. https://doi.org/10.1111/flan.12552
Using the Word “Success”
by Scott Miles
Image by mirsasha via Flickr
Students often make mistakes using the word ‘success.’ Here are the proper ways to use this word.
Noun: Success
Serena Williams was a great success in professional tennis.
Verb: Succeed
Serena Williams succeeded in winning seven major tennis tournaments.
Adjective: Successful
Serena Williams was one of the most successful tennis players in history.
Common mistakes
I will succeed my plans.
‘Succeed’ is a non-transitive word, which means it cannot have an object. You cannot say that you ‘succeed something.’
In this case, you can put ‘plan’ in a prepositional phrase:
→ I will succeed in my plans.
Or even better, you can change the sentence using the adjective or noun forms.
→ My plans will be successful. → My plans will be a success.