Wanna a Dictation? Yes, Please! - Two Funny Dictations for Bored Students (and Teachers)

Aleksandra Zaparucha, Poland

Aleksandra Zaparucha is an independent EFL/CLIL trainer, consultant and author from Toruń, Poland. E-mail: ola.zaparucha@gmail.com

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Introduction
Two dictation examples for the bored
Conclusion
Bibliography
Further reading
Try yourself at dictation
MadLibs websites

Introduction

Whenever I ask students, be it at school, university or evening courses, whether they would like to have a dictation the answer is only moaning and groaning. They would always say they hate dictations. What makes this form of class work so unpopular with the learners (and, probably, with the teachers)? Well, it seems that for many people a ‘dictation’ means an ‘old-fashioned’, ‘boring’, and ‘teacher-centred’ activity (Lightfoot, 2005). It can be, however, a never-ending source of inspiring activities integrating all the language skills (Oxford, 2001).

According to Twenty-Five Centuries of Language Teaching by L. G. Kelly (in: Montalvan, undated) a dictation has been used by teachers throughout the centuries since Middle Ages. In modern times, as the research proves, a well designed dictation is a technique ideal for both teaching and testing students’ competence. Before designing such an exercise, however, the teacher should address three issues: where it fits into the curriculum, and why and how it fulfills the lesson objectives (Montalvan, undated). Only by doing so it is possible to tailor the activity to the needs of the learners.

According to Montalvan (undated) the list of a dictation advantages includes learning grammar, developing short-term memory and unconscious thinking in the new language. A dictation is also motivating and challenging as it provides material for instant feedback for both the teacher and the learner, especially if these are the students who do the correcting. Additionally, it does not need much preparation on the part of the teacher and it can concentrate on both accuracy of the text and its meaning, thus developing creativity and arousing interest in the learners of any level.

Two dictation examples for the bored

Further on you will find two suggestions of the lessons with dictations I have been using for years. The first one is based on an American party game called Mad Libs, while the other one was presented during some teacher-training course. Both leave plenty of room for creativity of teachers and learners alike, and can be adjusted to all levels.

A Crazy Dictation

This lesson was conducted with the intermediate students. The type of the text selected, however, can be carefully tailored to lower-level students’ needs.

The aims of the lesson:

Students know:

• adjectives for tourist destinations,
• tourist regions of Poland, Europe and other continents.

Students can:

• discuss their holiday preferences,
• give a number of verbs, nouns, adjectives and adverbs.

Materials:

• a copy of the test on Mexico (MadLibs)

Methods:

• pair work,
• using dictionaries,
• dictation.

Lesson plan:

1. Discussion on students’ best holiday destinations (SKILLS: speaking/listening).
2. Teacher gives students one minute to write all the words they associate with Mexico (SKILLS: writing).
3. In pairs students compare their ideas; the teacher writes them of the board in the form of the following diagram:

Dictation:

Stage 1: The teacher asks students to write down numbers from 1 to 18 on a piece of paper. Then, in pairs, students write any words they can think of from the following list:

1. adjective (e.g. interesting, sympathetic, crazy or horrible)
2. adjective
3. adjective
4. adjective
5. plural noun
6. plural noun
7. adjective
8. noun
9. plural noun
10. noun
11. noun
12. adjective
13. adjective
14. adjective
15. adjective
16. adjective
17. noun
18. adjective

At this stage students may use dictionaries to look for more sophisticated ideas (SKILLS: writing/speaking/listening/reading).

Stage 2: The teacher dictates the text about Mexico. In the gaps students are asked to put in their numbered words (SKILLS: writing/speaking/listening/reading).

TRAVEL SUGGESTIONS

If you’re looking for a place to spend a/an (1)______________ winter holidays, think of (2) _______________ Mexico. There, under a brilliant, (3) ________________ sky, you and your (4) _____________ friends can spend hours inspecting the wonderful (5) _______________ and the ancient Aztec ______________ . You will be fascinated by the (7) _________________ customs of the natives. In the evening, you can rest in the local (8) _________________ which is what the Mexicans call their (9) _______________, and watch the famous (10) _________________ dance called the (11) _________________ . Hotels there have all (12) __________________ conveniences, including (13) ______________ water, (14) ________________ air-conditioning, and (15) service. The rates are also very (16) ________________ . In a few days, you and your friends will be lolling on the (17) ________________, just like the (18) _____________ natives.

As a result, the students have funny texts which can be read either during the dictation (stopping at every new collocation), or after the dictation is finished.

Illogical Dictation

This lesson was conducted with the elementary students. Again, the text can be successfully adjusted to any students’ needs.

The aims of the lesson:

Students know:

• structures of polite requests,
• basic English structures,
• shops, professions, times.

Students can:

• spell,
• think logically.

Materials:

• a copy of the dictation

Methods:

• pair work,
• dictation.

Lesson plan:

1. The teacher asks the students to prepare for writing a dictation and then reminds the goal, i.e. the full text written down (SKILLS: listening).
2. The teacher starts reading the text at normal speed. Surprised students interrupt explaining they cannot write as the teacher is reading too fast (SKILLS: writing/speaking).
3. The teacher elicits the students’ requests:
   • Could you speak slowly, please?
   • Could you stop after each sentence, please?
   • Could you repeat the last sentence, please?
   • Could you spell this word, please?
   (SKILLS: speaking/ listening/ reading/writing).
4. The teacher does only what the students ask him/her to do.

TOM BROWN THE BAKER

Tom Brown is a baker. Every evening she opens their shoe-shop. Bob works there until 4am every day. In the evening Sue listens to jazz and plays the drums. Yesterday Tom overslept. When she came to his grocery, there was a long queue of students outside the bakery. Everyone wanted fresh fruit and vegetables for dinner. Mary opened her shop and served the dentists.

4. The students quickly realise the text is illogical. After writing the entire text they are asked to work in pairs to change it into a logical text about Tom Brown the Baker. Finally, the texts are read aloud and checked for their logic.

Conclusion

Dictations, be they in the above style or any other ones, can be a fantastic opportunity for a teacher to integrate all the language skills, and not only listening and writing, in one activity. Additionally, they might bring a welcome change from a textbook as well as a good laugh and fun with the language. The Internet offers a wide variety of MadLib texts, but they can also be prepared by a teacher if specific needs are to be met. The second dictation can also be adjusted to cover important grammar or vocabulary material. Just use your imagination and get ready for a good laugh during the classes.

Bibliography

Lightfoot A., 2005, Using dictation, British Council, India,
www.teachingenglish.org.uk/think/methodology/dictation.shtml (accesses January 2007)

Montalvan R., (undated), Dictation Updated: Guidelines for Teacher-Training Workshops http://exchanges.state.gov/education/engteaching/dictatn.htm (accessed January 2007)

Oxford R., 2001, Integrated Skills in the ESL/EFL Classroom, Online Resources: Digests www.cal.org/resources/Digest/0105oxford.html (accessed January 2007)

Price R., Stern L., 1988, The original No 1 MadLibs, Price Stern Sloan, Los Angeles.

Further reading

Davis P., Rinvolucri M., 1988, Dictation - New methods, new possibilities, CUP

Try yourself at dictation

1. www.learnenglish.de/dictationpage.htm
2. English Exercises Online www.smic.be/smic5022/index.htm

MadLibs websites

1. www.madlibs.org/
2. http://us.penguingroup.com/static/packages/us/yreaders/madlibs/fun.html
3. www.teach-nology.com/web_tools/games/mad_libs/

Please check the Methodology and Language for Primary Teachers course at Pilgrims website.
Please check the Methodology and Language for Secondary Teachers course at Pilgrims website.
Please check the Creative Methodology for the Classroom course at Pilgrims website.