English Teaching

ELT365 · Day 185 — Controlled to free practice — bridging the gap

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Idea — Controlled practice constrains form (fill the gap, substitute one word). Free practice gives full communicative choice. Jumping straight from a drill to a role play leaves the gap too large.

Example — Controlled: complete the dialogue with a modal verb. Semi-controlled: choose which modal fits your situation. Free: negotiate a real decision using modals naturally.

Try — Add a semi-controlled stage to your next grammar lesson, between the drill and the free production task.

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