restructuration. However, as I stated earlier, practice also serves another important
process in language learning. This process is proceduralisation. According to Johnson
(102), within a DECPRO scheme, proceduralising refers to the conversion of declarative
knowledge (once this has been developed) into procedural knowledge. He also uses the
term automization as a synonym of proceduralisation.
For Batstone (1994), proceduralisation is “the process of forming and mentally
storing language routines through experience in language use” (137). It is language users
being able to make sense of language and with language and not just about language, as
in the declarative knowledge stage. For him, procedural knowledge is ready-to-use
language.
In relation to this, Batstone talks about process teaching which “emphasises the
use of language by the learner”. As it was done earlier with product teaching, in this
study I will refer to process learning as the self-directed process aimed at developing
proceduralisation by means of practice. Therefore, the learner has to be able to manage
all the variables that depend on the construction of the appropriate context to practise the
language, which is aimed to make the learners able to “express themselves more
efficiently as discourse participants” (ibid., 74). In the following sections, I will hardly
make reference to data from the Oaxaca/97 project. The reason for this has already been
stated above: practise was notoriously absent. However, this fact made me realise the
necessity to reflect on this problem. Thus, I will analyse some issues related to this
matter and make some suggestions for learners to become more apt to manage their own
proceduralisation processes.
7.2.3.3.1 Getting rid of mistakes
In section 7.2.3.2.1 (p. 226) I discussed the possibility to correct errors within a
restructuring process. In the same way, I will discuss now the issue of mistakes within a
proceduralisation stage.
As it was said before, mistakes are due to a lack of procedural knowledge.
Developing procedural knowledge through intense practice in order to get rid of mistakes
sounds a sensible answer to solve the problem. However, the operationalisation of it is
nonetheless an easy matter. First of all, as it was shown earlier, students find it very
difficult to handle their own practice of the target language. Using the scheme introduced
in the input session, A refers to his learning process in this way:
A: (Comparing the model of language learning with his own way of learning)
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