7.2.3.3.2 Triggering proceduralisation
On the line of this discussion, we have seen that the “now, go and practise”
approach is not the best way to cope with proceduralisation. Much more is needed to be
done. As I see it, the learner has to be provided with the necessary tools to manage her
practice.
According to Johnson, the first step is to be aware of one’s own mistakes. This is
followed by a stage of self-analysis and evaluation. A third step, says Johnson, is
necessary to achieve proceduralisation. This is retrial, or “the opportunity to practise
again” (ibid, 128).
It is the belief underlying this study that in general (not just for mistake
correction purposes), practice needs to be controlled in a way that learners can make the
most of it according to their individual needs.
Several authors have talked about this manipulation of practice. In this study I
will make reference to Batstone (1994), Skehan (1996) and Johnson (1996). These three
scholars refer to tasks and the way they can be handled.
Batstone talks about regulating language use and refers to a task-based approach
that cares for the “qualities of ‘good’ tasks”. Within the task factors to regulate, Batstone
mentions time pressure, topic, familiarity and shared knowledge. Actually, according to
Batstone,
Carefully regulated process work can give learners repeated opportunities to
notice and restructure their working hypotheses about language, as well
as to progressively proceduralise this knowledge. (1994, 79)
Skehan (1996) talks about task implementation. He proposes a whole framework
in which several factors are considered to affect the implementation of tasks. Among
these factors, code complexity, cognitive complexity and communication stress must be
taken into consideration when sequencing tasks for the development of accuracy, fluency
and complexity.
For Johnson, the control and manipulation of language practice is called task
grading. For him, appropriate task grading results in linguistic automization.
Automization, or proceduralisation, as it was stated before, is the conversion of
declarative into procedural knowledge. Johnson defines it as follows
The skill of automization is the ability to get things right when no
attention is available for getting them right (137)
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