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Humanising Language Teaching
Year 4; Issue 2; March 02
Changing Handwriting
( coursebook section)
By Herbert Puchta and Mario Rinvolucri
Language focus:
Listening to different uses of the same voice. While taking dictation from the different voices and copying handwriting, they are taking in the meaning and structure of the passage without noticing.
Proposed M.I. focus:
Interpersonal, linguistic and spatial ( hand-writing copying)
Level:
post-beginner to advanced
Time: 20-30 minutes
Preparation:
Choose a passage to dictate. This could usefully be a text from your coursebook two or three units beyond where you have got to. Prepare to dictate the first third of the text in a whisper, and the next third in a slow, warm voice . Prepare to chant or sing the last part. We have used plain chant, but any chant that does not distort the words is fine. If you can't sing or chant then ask someone else who can to make a tape for you of the whisper, the slow speech and the chant.
In class:
- Tell the class they are going to take down a dictation.
Whisper the first part or play cassette
Speak the next bit in a slow warm voice
Chant or sing the last part.
- Ask the students to swap their dictation with a partner. Each person copies out the first ten words their partner wrote while listening to the whisper
" " " " " " " " " " slow voice
" " " " " " " " " " " " chant.Ask each person to accurately imitate their partner's handwriting, getting the same space between words, the same breaks within words, the same slant to the letters and the same letter shaping as their partner.
- Ask the partners to come together and share what they have noticed.
- Allow whole class time for general feedback on the exercise, which is pretty amazing when you experience it first time.
