Korean Job Discussion Forums

shifter2009 · Joined: 03 Sep 2006 Location: wisconsin

I am starting my summer intensives and my bosses have given me these books to work with that are largely just dictation. Listen, write down what he is saying, listen again and fill in more blanks. Its dry, dry stuff which is boring me and the students to death. But I got the finish the book or die idicate that I get every semester sooooo, does anyone got any good ideas on how to make this sort of stuff fun?

teachergirltoo · Joined: 28 Oct 2006

I have turned activities like this into combination listening exercises at times. I will make teams of 4. Each team will pick a runner, which they can trade out at any moment they wish. I will stand in a far corner of the room, or outside the door. The runner from each team will come there. I will read one sentence to all of them at the same time. Only once. Then the runner must take the information back to the team and have them write down what he heard. They will plead often for me to read the sentence more than one time to the runner but I do not, because at the end of the class we have each team read their story of what they heard. The team that has the MOST accurate copy to the original story wins. Often there are some pretty wild variations though and that makes it fun too. They get to work on several skills by doing this, and it makes it more interesting for the students than just straight dictating.

safeblad · Joined: 17 Jul 2006

Jizzo T. Clown · Joined: 27 Mar 2006 Location: at my wit's end

Here are some dictations so they don't only have to hear your voice all the time:

http://www.dictationsonline.com/

Also works well for homework if they're so inclined.

If nothing else it shows how to properly give dictation.

Woland · Joined: 10 May 2006 Location: Seoul

Do something like a dictogloss or grammar dictation:

Choose a short text that is manageable for the students (shorten a text in your book to three or four sentences - long enough for this purpose)

Go over any new vocabulary ahead of time and do a short pre-reading type of activity on the topic to get students prepared.

Tell the students that you will be reading the text ONE TIME ONLY AT NORMAL SPEED and that they should write down whatever they hear.

Once this is done (the first time you do this, chaos will occur, and you may have to read again, but in later uses of this technique, students will be better prepared), tell the students that their job is to reconstruct the exact text you read them. Not a paraphrase, the exact text.

More chaos.

Get them settled down to work for a few minutes. They will be unable to do it. When no one seems to be writing anything, partner them and have them help each other with the task. When paired efforts break down, put pairs together. Repeat again, moving to groups of eight.

At this point, the groups should be getting substantial portions of the text. Check to see which is furthest along and have them write their text on the board. Allow the other groups to make challenges to anything that they think isn't right on the board.

Finally, re-read the original text, indicating fixes on the board. Then discuss the areas where they had trouble.

This will take 30 to 45 minutes total.

The first time you do this, there will be chaos. The second time will be better. The third time should be all smooth, with the students knowing what the problem is, that they will be able to succeed when they work together, and having developed strategies for dealing with the problem.

jinks · Joined: 27 Oct 2004 Location: Formerly: Lower North Island

Running dictations are fun and effective, but make sure you post the text(s) outside the classroom. Students will subvert the running aspect, which is what makes the learning process deeper, by calling out their line from the posted text to their team who are sitting at their table and writing down the runner's words.
As well as the dictogloss technique, where the students need to recreate a text from one or two hearings, I also like to read a (short) poem over and over. The students must write down the poem. It is not a dictation, because you read at a normal speed. I particularly like using W. Carlos Williams' poem This Is Just To Say for this activity because the language is clear and unpoetic, this could be a good introduction to the dictogloss activity.

ddeubel · Joined: 20 Jul 2005

I'll come back later and make a few comments about the excellent ideas above but just quickly....

I think you have to personalize all content from a text - in order to maximize retention and learning. How?

I often put the text up on powerpoint with words changed. As the students listen, they clap/knock to indicate words which are changed. Then they take this text and change the words in it, to make it their own. As you do it more times, you get better at changing the right words so that they can easily make the text their own. Then they share, in groups or whole class.
Very interactive way to wake up a dry text. Other option is you just read the text changing things as you read, they indicate with knocks/shouts. Then get higher level students to do this or prepare and read.

I don't believe in dictations unless you are teaching "writing" skills. If communication is the key (and should be unless the course is very specialized), I'd try to minimize it as much as possible. The goal is to get the students to produce their own language based on a model , not to regurgitate/copy.

DD

ilovebdt · Joined: 03 Jun 2005 Location: Nr Seoul

Running dictations are fun for any level.

Do you have a big white board or white wall in your room?

Choose a poem or text with short lines it and write the individual words on Post It notes.

Each tema gets a set of Post It notes.

You read a line and the students A) choose the correct words and then B) have to stick them in the correct order on the white board or wall as quick as possible.

ilovebdt