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Humanising Language Teaching
Year 5; Issue 4; July 03
Competitive dictation
Level :
Beginner to Intermediate
Time :
15 minutes
Preparation
Have ready, for your own use only, a list of the main parts of a car: bonnet, handbrake, headlight, steering wheel, roof-rack, windscreen wiper, etc.
In class
- Draw the minimal outline of a car on two large sheets of card. Stick these to the walls at either end of the room.
[illustration here]
- Divide the class into two groups, and ask each group to gather round one of the outline cars. Give each group a marker pen.
- Shout out the first item on the list you have prepared. Each team has to write the word in on the appropriate part of the car, and draw the item in if it is missing.
- Ask the two teams to compare labelling, spelling, etc.
N.B. If you have a large class you may want to have more than two teams working, each with its own outline.
Variation
Instead of drawing, the team can be asked to build the car with people. You shout out wheels and four people take up rounded crouching positions as wheels. You shout out bumper (or fender if you are teaching US English) and two people lie down in front of and behind the two sets of wheels, etc. Once the car has been built with people, you go up and ask the 'parts' to identify themselves: What are you? - I'm the number-plate.
Acknowledgement
We learnt this dictation technique on a seminar held at the University of Strasbourg III.
