Cloze dictogloss

Secondary, adult
Ray Janssens

2.1 What it is

Cloze dictogloss consists essentially of asking students to reconstruct a dictated text so as to capture as much as possible of its information content in as accurate and acceptable a linguistic form as possible.

This technique is especially interesting in that it reconciles the (teacher's )interest in grammar and the need for interactive learning; and the achievement of accuracy through fluency activities.

2.2 How it works in class

Classroom procedure can be summarised as follows:

1. The teacher reads a short text out twice to the students at normal speed.
2. While this text is being read, the students make notes, e.g. by jotting down familiar words and phrases.
3. Working in small groups, the learners now pool their notes and strive to reconstruct a version of the text from their shared notes.
4. Each group of students produces its own reconstructed version, aiming at grammatical accuracy and textual cohesion but not at reproducing the original text.

2.3 The four stages in the dictogloss procedure

2.3.1 Preparation

1. Begin by looking out for a suitable dictogloss passage. Any short (4 to 5 sentences or lines), coherent and interesting passage will do
2. Prepare your students for the topic with a suitable warm-up.
Prepare your students for the vocabulary of the text. Vocabulary should be pre-taught if you suspect that certain items will be unfamiliar or difficult to infer.
3. Make sure that your learners know what they are expected to do at each stage of the procedure.
4. Put learners into groups before the dictogloss begins.

2.3.2 Dictation

Learners may hear the text twice. The first time, they should not write anything but just listen. Dictate the text at normal speed. Pause between sentences, pauses should be a little longer than usual (I always silently count to five).
Try to make the two readings identical.

Sample text:
Chocomania

1. If you did a random check among your friends you might discover an amazing thing. 2. The addiction that affects most people is neither alcohol nor nicotine. 3. It's chocolate. 4. Most people can't resist soft, sweet, fresh chocolate and they eat it quite regularly. 5. Apart from the effect on your pocket and your waistline, the habit is neither harmful nor illegal and most chocolate addicts get away happily with at least one 'fix' a day.

Wajnryb, Ruth; Grammar Dictation, OUP 1990, p. 66.

2.3.3 Reconstruction

As soon as the second reading is over, students, working in groups, proceed to pool their notes and work on their version of the text. It is useful to appoint a scribe through whom all the suggestions are channelled and who does the writing. When they have finished they check their text for grammar, textual cohesion and logical sense.

2.3.4 Analysis and correction

This can be done in a number of ways. In a classroom with a chalkboard I did it like this.
Using the board, scribes come out in front and write up their groups' versions of the text for all to see and discuss. This is best done on a sentence basis - sentence 1 of each group is analysed and discussed before moving on to sentence 2 of each group, etc.

3. Aim of dictogloss

The main aim is to develop learners' grammatical competence in using the language.

4. The value of dictogloss

4.1 Learning becomes active involvement.
4.2 Teaching and testing go hand in hand.
4.3 This is an exercise based on an information gap
4.4 It strikes a balance between memory and creativity.
4.5 It stimulates grammar practice in sentence context.
4.6 It compromises between grammar (what students think they want) and communicative
practice in a task-based , learner-centred context (what teachers want to give them).
4.7 It stimulates motivation (grammar in response to visible needs).
4.8 It helps to use language as communication.
4.9 It caters for individuals and for groups.
4.10 The text is seen as the unit of language.