5.2.5. LIMIT EXPECTATIONS FOR DRILLS MECHANICAL DRILLS IN WHICH STUD...

1.5.2.5. Limit expectations for drills Mechanical drills in which students substitute pronouns for nouns or alternate the person, number, or tense of verbs can help students memorize irregular forms and challenging structures. However, students do not develop the ability to use grammar correctly in oral and written interaction because these drills separate form from meaning and use. The content of the prompt and the response is set in advance. The student only has to supply the correct grammatical form, and can do that without really needing to understand or communicate anything.Communicative drills encourage students to connect form, meaning, and use because many correct responses are possible. In communicative drills, students respond to a prompt using the grammar point under consideration, but providing their own content. For example, to practice questions and answers in the past tense in English, teacher and students can ask and answer questions about activities the previous evening. The drill is communicative because none of the content is set in advance. 11