Typology of Exercises

Lecture 3

1. The main categories of methodology.

2. The definition of the exercises.

3. Different approaches = different exercises.

Each science has its own basic categories. The main basic categories in methodology of foreign language teaching are: technique, method and system of teaching. We have considered the categories of technique and method in our previous discussion. The categories of method can be used in two different meanings in methodology:

1. Method as an overall plan for the orderly presentation of language material.

2. Method as one of the ways of teaching.

In didactics method is considered as one of the ways of teaching- the way the teacher works with his pupils. The choice of a method depends on the language material to be learned by pupils. In pedagogy you can come across many methods of teaching, such as:

1. Oral presentation of the material (the teacher’s story, explanation, lecture)

2. Working with a textbook or a book;

3. Pupils visual activities (usage of pictures, illustrations, films etc.)

4. Laboratory work.

5. Exercises.

6. Creative activities.

To choose the most adequate ways of foreign language teaching we should analyze the process of teaching this subject. These are two aspects in foreign language teaching that are closely connected:

1. The development of speech skills.

2. The acquisition of the language material.

And for both of these aspects the most important are: practice, drill, exercises. Exercises help both the development of speech skills and the acquisition of the language material. Салистра И.Д. in his work “Очерки методов обучения иностранным языкам” gives a definition of the exercise:

“Упражнение – целеустремленное, определенным образом организованное, многократное повторение действия, направленное на овладение этим действием, на совершенствование способов его выполнения”.

Exercise is one of the indispensable components of the foreign language teaching process. In works and books on methodology you can come across a great number of systems and classifications of exercises.

What is an exercise? If we analyze the definition given by Salistra we can say that:

1. Each exercise has its objective

2. An exercise is a specially organized activity

3. The aim of any exercise is perfection of some activity

4. To make the action (activity) perfect and automatic it must be repeated many times.

Each exercise has specific characteristic features. It must have its own place in the system of exercises and do what it can do, that is it must help the development of some habit. Each exercise must be adequate (sufficient, fully suitable).

Naccob gives the following definition of the adequacy of exercises:

‘’Адекватность упражнений – это их потенциальная способность, благодаря определенному характеру и качествам, служить наиболее эффективным средством достижения конкретной цели”.

Example: “The objective of our today’s class is developing speech skills” says the teacher entering the classroom. The topic is “Travelling”. Then they do exercises: the teacher reads the word, pupils read after the teacher; then the pupils work in pairs: one pupil reads a question about the picture, the other reads the answer. After this lesson the teacher was asked whether it was possible to teach pupils speaking making them read.

- Of course, not, said the teacher.

- Why did you do it?

- But my pupils were speaking all the time, the teacher was surprised.