Humanising Language Teaching
Year 3; Issue 2; March 2001
Add words to a Dictation
( Section 1- grammar )
Level: elementary to intermediate
- Prepare to dictate 2 or 3 paragraphs of the passage or dialogue
- Tell the students they will take the dictation down leaving one word spaces between the words.
- When you have dictated a sense group or a sentence, ask them to add one extra word somewhere in what you have just given them.
- At the end of the dictation ask half a dozen people round the class to read out what they have written. This may give you the chance to do quick, light correction of grammar points not clear to the students. With the speed of the dictation and the quick additions, some of their grammar misunderstandings tend to come out.
Variation: ask them to add
- 2 words
2 consecutive words
3 words
an adjective
a colour adjective
an adverb
a question tag
ask them to take away
- 1 word
2 words
a conjunction etc….
You may decide to give different instructions after each sense group or sentence.
