Effective Drilling Techniques in English Language Teaching: Methods and Best Practices

The Role of Drilling and Habit Formation in Language Learning

Drilling: It is not hard to see that if food is always placed on the right-hand side of the maze, the rat will learn after a series of runs (or "trials") to turn right when it is released from its cage. We can say that a habit is being formed. Habit formation is the basis of learning.

When we drill in class, we are also creating a speech habit so that, after a series of practice trials using the same form, it will be thoroughly learned.

Perhaps the main argument in favor of using drills is that they help students acquire fluency in the target language by training them to produce language patterns automatically and without conscious effort. If drills are well constructed, they will consist of fragments of realistic conversation. Consequently, students will get practice using language that can later be transferred to situations where real communication needs to take place.

Example of a Realistic Drill for Reflexive Pronouns

• Clue: Peter has just fallen down the stairs.
• Response: Has he hurt himself?

Even mechanical drills requiring little conscious effort on the part of the student can be made to resemble genuine conversational exchanges by adding natural expressions such as:

• "Actually..."
• "You know..."
• "Oh dear!"
• "Really?", and so on.

Controlled Drills vs. Free Drills

Controlled Drills

Drills are commonly controlled, based on the targeted practice of a specific grammatical structure. The teacher may want to provide selected clues for the purpose of reinforcing specific areas of the target language. For example, if we clue: "Neil Armstrong... to the moon in 1969", our objective is for students to practice the irregular past tense verb "went". In this case, we are purposefully guiding and manipulating the student's response.

Free Drills

Drilling can also be conducted very freely. In other words, we do not strictly clue or manipulate the exact response. For example, the teacher might say: "I'm thirsty! I'd like a glass of water." Then, the teacher prompts students to express a personal desire in their own words.

We use controlled drills to elicit very specific structural responses, and free drills when variations in responses are encouraged. Whenever possible, we should incorporate free drills so students can express authentic feelings and opinions. In this type of exercise, we tap into the theory of expressing personal desires and building mental picture associations with sentences.

Best Practices for Implementing Drills in Class

• Minimize Clues: When drilling, it is advisable to supply as few clues as possible. This encourages students to think critically, create independently, and helps substantially reduce Teacher Talking Time (TTT).
• Progress from Simple to Complex: When starting out a drill, it is best to proceed from easy to more difficult structures. It is helpful to have your strongest students begin the sequence to give slower learners the opportunity to become more aware of expectations. The teacher should always model the first example clearly.
• Ensure Variety and Manage Duration: Maintain variety throughout drilling sessions. A single pattern can feature between three and five distinct clues so that repetition does not become monotonous. Drilling should remain lively and dynamic: it should last around 15 to 20 minutes in a standard class session before switching to a new communicative activity.
• Engage the Entire Class: Constant choral repetition can be employed initially to maximize class-wide engagement and build confidence. Ultimately, drilling remains one of the foundational steps in classroom instruction immediately following the presentation of a new grammatical structure.