Introduction

Pattern practice is one of the most widely used methods of teaching mother tongue, and learning process among the school students. Various methods of pattern practices which are being followed in the primary schools have been immensely successful in teaching mother tongue. This paper particularly speaks about the different types of pattern practices that are being followed by the mother tongue teachers. It mainly suggests that through this kind of practice the students can understand the basic language formation and structure to use without any loss of original functions of language. Every method of textbook describes and defines it to be used adequately in the normal daily usages. Such widely differing interpretations of pattern practice can help the students to learn the mother tongue in correct mode, ensure students’ capability to learn mother tongue.

Objectives

• To study the recent trends of pattern practices in schools, and focus on some of the better practices that are being prescribed by the subject teachers.

• To identify the pattern practices with the help of ICT corner, and its role which has some extra message related to a particular subject.

• To make the students fluent in leaning the mother tongue through ICT corner, and to provide a better knowledge of basic structure and functions in learning mother tongue.

• To practice multiple exercises and innovative pattern practices that can help the students to learn the mother tongue quickly.

Robert Lado has prescribed certain pattern practices to develop the teaching and learning skills. Concentrating on different types of sentence patterns, the mother tongue teacher can explain the method of understanding the structure and functions of the language. While reciting various sentence structures, the multiple sentence-making could be completed within one sentence. The initial pronoun or “interrogative" such as “WH” question tags can make different types of sentence structure in one utterance. Each pattern may have a unique lay out, but all the patterns may not be constructed on the same pattern. A sentence might be constructed with all grammatical features to express the meaning of particular action, and help communicate our thoughts and ideas.

There are many types of pattern practices, but simple repetition and conscious-choice drill on linguistic problems are not pattern practices in this technical sense. These are proceedings stages of practices. Pattern practice is rapid oral on problem patterns with attention on something other than the problem itself. (Lado Robert, p.194)

When we teach a word or a sentence to the students, the basic and initial elements can be taught to them so that they can easily understand the concept and make different types of sentence constructions. The pronounced "WH" question tags mostly take place in the pattern practices, which helps the students to create the related sentences or word structure in an utterance. The problem of teaching first language is to come across the basic elements of the language practices in various aspects of pattern practices. Th teachers also try to provide some kinds of easily understandable tags that are very close to the practices, which stimulates the students’ capability in learning mother tongue.

Types of pattern practices

These are the seven pattern practices formed in linguistics study as prescribed by Robert Lado. These are still followed by the language teachers in teaching mother tongue at schools. They include—

• Simple oral substitution

• Simple substitution in pictures

• Simple substitution

• Multiple substitutions

• Transformation

• Conversation

• Addition

Simple Oral Substitution

Through this method a new word or phrase is substituted in the same position with each response. The teacher gives the substitution orally, and the students incorporate it in the preceding response. The given basic sentences by the teacher have to be memorized, and the same type of method in other words is also followed.

Example—

Listen (Eng.) — /kavani/ (Tam.)

See (Eng.) — /pa:r/ (Tam.)

Speak (Eng.) — /pe:su/ (Tam.)

While the teacher recites it in the classroom, and asks everybody to recite the same word order.

Do you listen? — /ni: kavanikkiRa:ya:/

Yes. I listen. — /a:m. na:n kavanikkire:n/

Do you speak? — /ni: pe:sukira:ya:/

Did you speak? — /ni: pe:sina:ya:/

These are the simple substitutions framed by the teacher in the classroom. The students must pay attention to the given oral substitution, otherwise they may not able to respond.

Recent trends in simple substitution

After giving a definition of various words, the language teacher quotes a particular word, and asks the students to create a meaningful sentence by using his recited words. Similarly, the ICT corner helps the students to boost their knowledge along with their lessons given in the textbooks.

Example—

Through ICT corner there are many substitutions given in the textbook that are related to the subject. By scanning QR code, the students can get many words to use and make sentences as given in the example.

Simple substitution in pictures

Through this method the teacher displays a set of pictures or photos to the students to express the actual word or meaning of the pictures or photos. He then mentions the related pictures or photos to motivate the students, and asks them to point out to the exact images. The teacher teaches various types of sentence structures in the utterance, and provides the students the cues by real object, and asks them to mention the name of the real object correctly.

Example—

Teacher points at a ship— Do you see the ship? /ni: kappalai pa:rkkiRa:ya:?/

Pointing at a car— Do you see the car? /ni: makiluntai pa:rkkiRa:ya:?/

Pointing at a plane— Do you see the plane? /ni: vima:nattai pa:rkkiRa:ya:?/

The above series of examples shows the different real objects pointed out to the students. This kind of exercise helps the students to respond immediately to the cues supplied by the teacher. The grammatical function is instructed by the teachers to evaluate every individual in the classroom, and in this way more information related to the lesson is obtained. It is very innovative method for the language teacher and the learners.

Substitution on variable slot

The substitution fits a different slot each time in order to direct the attention leading away from the problem for which different usages of verb form will be changed, and cues will be supplied to the students by the teacher.

Example—

Cues supplied by the teacher—

(see) — Do you see the train? /ni:rajilai pa:rkkiRa:ya:?/

(hear) — Do you hear the sound? /ni: cattattai ke:tkiRa:ya:?/

(she) — Does she see the train? /aval rajilai pa:rkkiRa:La:?/

(They) — Do they hear the train? /avarkal rajilai pa:rkkiRa:rkaLa:?/

The above exercises include the changes at every occurrence, and these changes may be indicated any time. When a sentence or pattern is created in the teaching process, it can make a student avail more structures of patterns.

Example—

John — John understands the lesson.

Malar — Malar scored good marks in English.

She — Does she understand the lesson?

Win — Who won the match?

The related substitutions for the last sentences are—

India and England played the match.

Where was the match played?

The match was played in Hyderabad.

India won the match.

The simple substitutions can create similar sentence patterns.

Multiple substitutions

This method enables the language teacher to arrange two or more cues instead of giving one example. The following cues may be a picture, orally pronounced word or simply an object. The teacher may give any of these combinations to the learners, and ask them to construct different or related sentences.

Example—

The teacher points out to the picture, and recites sentence.

She: Did she like the car?

What: What is the color of the car?

Who: Who saw the car first?

Which: Which is your bike?

They: They came by car.

You: Will you like the bus?

We: Did we come by train?

The multiple substitution practice will help the learners to know and create more sentence structures by using different types of cues shown by the teacher. Recently, the language teachers have been showing some kinds of props to the students, and asking them to construct different types of sentence structures by using question tags or interrogative types of sentence patterns. The state board ICT corner emphasizes bringing out the talents of the students by stimulating their thinking capacity in various aspects. If a teacher recites a lesson about a subject like ‘tree’, the students tend to give more relevant features about the tree— its usages, variety of trees and its types. Following these steps, the talent of the students can be stimulated.

Transformation

Through transformation students are able to create different types of sentence structures using pronouns and other grammatical features. While we teach some basic types of sentences to the students, they also connect the same utterances to the next sentence structure which they usually come across in their daily activities. Here also we find some "WH" question tags for creating substitutions for the above sentences.

Example—

Raju came to school. (How did he come to school?)

Raju came to school by bicycle. (Why did he come by bicycle?)

The bus did not come to his village today. (What is the reason?)

The bus had a problem in the engine yesterday.

By asking the related questions, we can create some sentence constructions by transforming the context to the next utterances. Many skilled teachers are using several innovative methods to make the children understand the transformational drills orally and in written form.

Example—

By using the sentence— Mani is a brilliant student in the class— we can ask the students to create relevant and different types of sentence structures.

Conversation

Conversation is also one of the best pattern practices being followed by the mother tongue teachers. It enables the students to deliver better answers of the questions that are raised during the classroom conversation framed by a language teacher as a dialog. The classroom is the best platform for the students to utilize many innovative thoughts and ideas. It also removes the hesitation in performing in front of others, even if their performance is wrong. The mother tongue teacher will equip the students in all levels of developing skills.

Example—

Before creating a dialog in the classroom before two students, the teacher has to explain the concept of the dialog, and ask them to perform it in a fruitful manner.

Sekar: Hi! Ramesh, How are you?

Ramesh: I am doing well. What about you?

Sekar: I too the same. How is your study?

Ramesh: It's going on well.

This conversation will go on like this.

Addition

Addition is a good pattern practice in language teaching at schools. It is increasing the length of sentence structure by adding some elements to attract attention. Each cue is added to the previous sentence, instead of being substituted for some part of it. Adding more details to the basic sentence can also prolong the sentence structure. The content of the sentence may increase while we add more elements to the normal sentence

Example—

I go to school.

When do you go to school?

I go to school every day.

I go to school every day in the morning.

I go to school every day morning at 8'o clock.

Conclusion

There are many pattern practices being followed by the mother tongue teacher in various aspects. But the recent trends of pattern practices are more helpful for the mother tongue teachers which are prescribed by our linguists, and which have influenced them to have better practices in mother tongue teaching and learning process. The above-described different types of pattern practices will absolutely have better success in the language teaching when we practice it.

References

Pedagogy of English. Vinton Publications, Thiruninravur, Chennai, 602024.

Lado, Robert. Language Teaching: A Scientific Approach. McGraw-Hill, 194, The University of Michigan Department of Education, Government of Tamilnadu, mutal patippu. 2019, iraNta:m patippu, 2020.

Dr. S.Balasubramanian, A Survey on Tamil as Mother Tongue Learning at School Level in Tamilnadu.