IV. Practice

Having presented new material, it must then be practised: the learner must produce examples of their own in response to cues given by the teacher or the tape. The teacher provides generalisations in the pupils' mother tongue or the target language. Various manipulative drills may be used.

The teacher relaxes control over the learners. This stage will practise not only the new items but also what has been learned in the previous lesson. Do not correct every mistake the pupil makes. Encourage students to speak, exchange views. The teacher should encourage the use of new items, but should allow the students to practise other material in as natural way as possible. This stage takes up 10-15 minutes.

If new material is not practised this stage also falls out.

V. Reinforcement

Reinforcement is fixing of new material firmly in pupils’ mind, so that he can handle it correctly and fluently.

This stage is optional. It arises from the necessity for further guidance of the learners so as to make sure that they are learning correctly.

If the material is revised twice in the lesson the pupils will longer retain it in their memory. The teacher selects exercises to practise certain skills at corresponding levels (lexical or structural) and with classes of words at each level. The time allotted for this is 5 minutes approximately.

VI. Closing Stage

It involves the creation of situations, the response to which makes the learners use the words and speech patterns, and combining the new teaching point with what they have already been taught.

Besides, in this stage the pupils' answers are graded and marked and homework is set and explained. The purpose of testing is to judge what has been learnt, what still needs to be learnt and what has to be taught again. In this stage the students should not receive any help from the teacher.

The above-mentioned lesson structure is typical but in real-life it is subject to change. If new material is not presented, the second and fourth stages are not planned and the remaining ones are treated with a greater amount of consideration. And, lastly, the teacher should adopt a critical approach towards his plan and the way it is executed. The time span for the closing stage is 2-3 minutes.

Types of Lesson

According to the general character of the teaching activity the lessons are divided into:

1. manipulative drills

2. quasi-communicative drills

3. communicative lessons

Language, if considered from a communicative point of view, is the transition of messages; it is the choice of a sequence of symbols from a reservoir of code. Indeed we use language units by choosing words one after another. Once the word has been chosen, the choice of the one following is governed by laws of grammar, vocabulary and syntax.

Manipulative drills involve pattern training, using clues, based on rules and models.

Communicative lessons involve activities aimed at developing habits and skills characteristic of real-life situations (monologue, dialogue, conversation or other form of verbal exchange). Once the type of lesson has been chosen, then the procedure is governed by training certain skills: to use sentences, dialogues, monologues and polylogues. The teaching of language as communication, calls for an approach which brings linguistic skills and communicative abilities into close association with each other. The linguistic content is inseparable from linguistic expression. The two areas, form and substance, are studied in their constant relationship.

At this level the emphasis is laid on the content area of the text. The learners are engaged in activities using the elements, clues, and situations, which lead to communication. The reinforcement and follow-up practices in this area lead to gnostic value, emotional colouring and informative quality, and the learners move on to a higher level of communicative ability.

Other types of lessons are: 1) aspect lesson; 2) complex (oral speech and grammar; home reading and oral speech); 3) integral (two teachers).