Operation automation stage

The main aim of the second and the third stages is to form the most essential characteristic of a habit – its automated nature. It is formed at two levels: at the level of a phrase, corresponding to the second stage, and the level of a supra-phrasal unit, as, along with its automated character, the stability of a habit should be looked after. The level of a supra-phrasal unit corresponds to the third stage of the active grammatical minimum acquisition.

The content of the operation automation stage is guided-communicative reproductive exercises in imitation, repetition, substitution, replacement, transformation, rejoinder, restatement, transposition, expansion, contractionand completion, performed at the level of a phrase.

At this level students perform exercises in imitation of a speech pattern, substitution into a speech pattern, transformation of a speech pattern, answering different kinds of questions, autonomous using the assimilated grammatical structure.

Here are a few examples of guided-communicative exercises for automating students’ operations with a new grammatical structure of the active grammatical sub-minimum. The sequence of exercises is determined by the account of formal difficulties of the structure ‘ There is a book on the desk’:

Exercise 1. Agree with me if I am right. Say: ‘ You are right’ before repeating the true statement or ‘ You are not right’ if the statement is false. Do not repeat the false statements.

T: There is a pen on Sasha’s desk.

P₁: You are right. There is a pen on Sasha’s desk.

T: There is a ball on his desk.

P₂: You are not right.

T: There is a map on his desk.

P₁: You are right. There is a map on his desk. Etc.

This is an exercise in imitating a speech pattern. The students’ communicative task is to agree and confirm the teacher’s statement if he is right. A real-life situation is used. The exercise may be performed in chorus.

Exercise 2. Now I’ll tell you about a thing on the desk and you’ll tell me about another thing.

T: There is a ruler on Vova’s desk.

P₁: There is a rubber on Vova’s desk.

T: There is a pencil on his desk.

P₂: There is a map on his desk. Etc.

This is an exercise in substitution, which does not change the grammatical structure itself, but only its lexical item. To facilitate students’ operations the teacher may point to a certain object on the desk. The communicative task of the students is to say what there is on their friend’s desk. The situation is the same. After a student’s statement, the group can repeat what he has said in chorus.

Exercise 3. And now answer my questions. Give full answers.

T: What is there in your bag, Nick?

P₁: There is an apple in my bag.

T: And what is there in your bag, Ann?

P₂: There is a pencil-case in my bag. Etc.

This exercise is aimed at teaching students to give a full answer to a special question. The teacher formulates the question, and the student uses the same grammatical structure in his answer that was used in the two previous exercises. The communicative task is to give an answer to the question; the situation remains the same as before. After a student’s answer the group may comment his statement:

T: What is there in your bag, Nina?

P₁: There is a doll in my bag.

Gr: There is a doll in Nina’s bag.

Exercise 4. Answer my questions. Give short answers: Yes, there is/ No, there isn’t.

T: Is there a bag on the chair?

P₁: Yes, there is.

T: Is there a map on the desk?

P₂: No, there isn’t.

This exercise is aimed at teaching students to give answers to general questions. In this case interference of the previously learnt structure (Is this a bag? – Yes, it is/ No, it isn’t.) takes place. It is advisable to write down the short answer on the board. The communicative task and situation are as before.

Exercise 5. Listen to my statements. Correct me if I am wrong.

T: It seems to me there is a piece of chalk on the desk.

P₁: You are not right. There is no piece of chalk on the desk. Etc.

This is an exercise in transformation of a speech pattern. In this case an affirmative sentence is transformed into a negative one. The communicative task is to correct or contradict the teacher’s statements (later on – the students’ statements).

Exercise 6. Tell the group what there is in your bag if it is not a secret.

P₁: There is a toy car in my bag.

Gr: There is a toy car in Ivan’s bag.

P₂: There is a ribbon in my bag.

Gr: There is a ribbon in Tanya’s bag. Etc.

The aim of this exercise is the students’ autonomous use of a new grammatical structure in speaking. The communicative task is informing other students of curious things in one’s bag. The situation remains the same.

Exercise 7. And now let’s write down what there is and what there isn’t on the walls of our classroom. The students say whatthere is and what there isn’t on the walls of the classroom.

P₁: There is a map on the wall.

P₂: There is a picture on the wall.

P₃: There is no shelf on the wall. Etc.

The teacher writes the statements on the board and the students put them down into their exercise books.

Exercises of the second stage are aimed at the automation of operations of an isolated grammatical structure and are performed in the life-like process of communication.