Dictation Activities
Dictation is the process of transcribing or reproducing spoken words in written form. This is very useful for teaching English as a second language and also for helping individuals to improve their listening skills. Dictation is divided into several types, such as orthographic text dictation, where a unified passage is transcribed. A variety of engaging, interactive dictation activities can be undertaken in order to help individuals improve their grasp on proper listening and the English language.
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Alphabet
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Using dictation to learn and practice the alphabet is an activity suited for both young children and individuals learning English as a second language. Knowing the correct names of the letters in the alphabet is necessary for many daily tasks, such as writing names and addresses. Begin by having students simply transcribe the individual letters you say aloud before moving on to spelling out names and words. Choose uncommon words in order to prevent the transcribers from spelling from memory. This allows you to see if students are hearing, and writing down, the correct letters.
Listening Skills
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For children with a solid grasp on the English language, dictation can be used to improve listening skills. Depending upon the age of the child, select passages from literature such as "Charlotte's Web" by E.B. White and "The Chronicles of Narnia" by C.S. Lewis. Begin by reading a sentence from the book and having the child write it down. Speak slowly and inform the child that she or he must listen because you will not repeat the sentence. As the child becomes more adept at dictation, choose longer, more difficult passages.
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Dialogues
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Engaging in practice dialogues is another beneficial activity for students learning English as a second language. Divide the group into pairs and have students sit back-to-back; this simulates phone conversations, which are particularly challenging for non-native speakers due to the lack of body language and facial expression cues. Students should engage in conversation, writing down what their partners say. This activity can also be done with native English-speakers who are learning a foreign language. Students can then check each other's work.
Yay or Nay
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This activity was sent into the British Council's English teaching website by Harrow English School. The teacher dictates an unscripted story to the classroom for an alloted amount of time, such as half of the class period, which the students write down what is being said. Next, the teacher chooses a student to read what they have written so far to the class. If a student believes that a word is incorrect, he or she announces "nay!" and offers the correct word. The students vote on whether or not this is correct; if the word is deemed replaceable, the reader must nominate the next student to continue reading. This continues, with the students correcting their transcriptions, until the story is finished.
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