4 Skills

1 or 2 skills

1 specific skill

Speech

habit

Special side of

speech habit

1 definite language item

- operations grouped as

interconnected sequence

1 side of a language item

- primary operations

Thus, a general system of exercises is structurally organised into subsystems comprising complexes, which in their turn include series. A series consists of several cycles including groups of exercises.

6.4.2. Characteristics of the system of exercises

Any proper system of exercises is characterised by a number of features: scientific character, interdependence, consistency and simplicity, recurrence of speech operations and language material, communicative character.

• Scientific character of the system presupposes its being subject to a certain methodological concept.

• The characteristic of interdependence means that every preceding exercise prepares the ground for successful fulfilment of the following exercise. The latter comprises language or speech material, which has already been trained and mastered in preceding exercises. All exercises of the system should follow one another in a logical sequence.

• The characteristic of consistency and simplicity means that the course of learning should proceed from the particular to the general. First learners deal with exercises aimed at forming separate habits, then several groups of habits, and at last they deal with exercises aimed at forming a particular skill. If it is an imitative system, then the transposition goes from imitation through reproduction to production, from habits to skills. Besides, each exercise of a system should be intelligible for the learners. This requirement is sometimes very hard to be observed. If the challenge is too low for the learners, they are not interested in performing the activity, becoming easily bored and not eager to do a monotonous job. On the other hand, if the challenge is too high, the learners simply ‘switch off’, because they are not able to fulfil the task. The main rule here is one difficulty at a time.

• Reoccurrence of speech operations and language material means that what is present in a particular speech habit must be repeated in skills realising speech activity.

• Communicative character of the system of exercises. In foreign language, teaching exercises serve consolidating speech habits and skills. The system of exercises forms the sum total of speech habits and skills for one or several kinds of language activity.

It should be noted that if a single feature of the five mentioned above is lacking then it is not a system yet, but a complex or a series of exercises.