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For the same reason that you were encouraged to learn cognate forms of words in
Chapter 6, you are encouraged to learn all of the individual forms of a single verb at one
time. This will greatly reduce the time required to learn verb vocabulary. Depending on
your target language, this could include tenses, persons, imperatives, declensions, etc.
Combining all forms of each verb as you learn them will also improve your intuitive
understanding of that particular verb. You will be better able to use the verb in its
different forms when you want to use it to convey a similar meaning.
All of the above comments relate to spoken language. You may find it helpful to write
tables. But you must learn to use the words in the tables as spoken vocabulary, not
merely as written tables.
Four types of verb drills
The Spoken English Learned Quickly lessons use four verb table forms. In the early
lessons, only the following form is used. It will be called an "A" format for this
illustration:
1. An "A" format English verb drill.
TO OWN (to own) / She promised to own it. (She promised to own it.)
Own. (Own.) / Please own it. (Please own it.)
owning (owning) / He is owning it. (He is owning it.)
owned (owned) / it is owned (it is owned) / it was owned (it was owned) / it will be
owned (it will be owned)
" I own (I own) / he owns (he owns) / she owns (she owns) / it owns (it owns) / you
own (you own) / we own (we own) / they own (they own)
" I owned (I owned) / he owned (he owned) / she owned (she owned) / it owned (it
owned) / you owned (you owned) / we owned (we owned) / they owned (they
owned)
" I will own (I will own) / he will own (he will own) / she will own (she will own) /
it will own (it will own) / you will own (you will own) / we will own (we will own)
/ they will own (they will own)
Since all of the exercises are recorded as audio lessons, the students respond by
repeating the words enclosed in the ellipses (. . .). A Student Workbook is provided that
contains the written text for all spoken drills. The parenthetical phrases are included in
the written text. Thus, the narrator says, "to own" and the students respond, "to own."
The narrator says, "She promised to own it," and the students respond, "She promised to
own it."[1] Everything is spoken, and as soon as the students understand a new exercise,
Chapter 7: Studying the Verb 36
Learning to Speak a Second Language
they put the written text aside and complete the exercise by using only the audio
recording without the text.
Repeated use of this format allows the students to conjugate an unknown verb
correctly. Can you see how their fluency increases when they can correctly use English
verbs so early in their language learning experience? That is the same fluency you will
want to develop as you study your target language.
Quite early in the lesson series, another verb table format is introduced. Throughout
the Student Workbook, all irregular verb forms appear in bold type. A drill for the
irregular verb "to meet" looks like this:
2. A sentence completion English verb drill.
Complete the following sentences with "them here every evening."
I always meet (I always meet them here every evening.) / He always meets (He
always meets them here every evening.) / You always meet (You always meet them
here every evening.) / We always meet (We always meet them here every evening.) /
They always meet (They always meet them here every evening.)
Complete the following sentences with "them here after work."
I always met (I always met them here after work.) / She always met (She always met
them here after work.) / You always met (You always met them here after work.) /
We always met (We always met them here after work.) / They always met (They
always met them here after work.)
Complete the following sentences with "them all before evening."
I will meet (I will meet them all before evening.) / She will meet (She will meet them
all before evening.) / You will meet (You will meet them all before evening.) / We
will meet (We will meet them all before evening.) / They will meet (They will meet
them all before evening.)
Though the sentences are simple, this format teaches the verb conjugation in the
context of the spoken language. It also forces the students to be more mentally alert
during the exercise. Later in the lessons, a third type of verb table is added that is
identified here as a "B" format table. It looks like this:
3. "B" format English verb drill.
TO TEST (to test) / He promised to test it. (He promised to test it.)
Test. (Test.) / Please test it. (Please test it.)
testing (testing) / He is testing some. (He is testing some.)
Chapter 7: Studying the Verb 37
Learning to Speak a Second Language
tested (tested) / it is tested (it is tested) / it was tested (it was tested) / it will be tested
(it will be tested)
I test (I test) I tested (I tested) I will test (I will test)
he tests (he tests) he tested (he tested) he will test (he will test)
she tests (she tests) she tested (she tested) she will test (she will test)
it tests (it tests) it tested (it tested) it will test (it will test)
you test (you test) you tested (you tested) you will test (you will test)
we test (we test) we tested (we tested) we will test (we will test)
they test (they test) they tested (they tested) they will test (they will test)
In this format, students are forced to move from tense to tense using the same person,
rather than from person to person using the same tense as they did in the A format drills.
Language requires both skills, so students are taught to do both at normal conversation
speed.
However, by this time in the lessons, students should be able to do both. Consequently,
they alternate between table formats in the same exercise. That is, the first verb uses the [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]