GRAMMAR DICTATION 1. What is grammar dictation? Grammar Dictation is another title to a teaching procedure known as Dictogloss.

And what is dictogloss? It is a relatively recent procedure in language teaching. It borrows little from traditional dictation but in fact is quite different from dictation in both procedure and objectives. In dictogloss a short text is read at normal speed to a class of learners who jot down familiar words as they listen. At the end of the dictation stage, most learners have only a small number of isolated words or fragments which together make up a very incohesive, battered text. In small groups, the students then pool their resources to reconstruct their version of the original text. In the final stage the various versions that the students have produced are subjected to close analysis and comparison. Through both the task of reconstruction and the following error analysis, students refine their understanding of the language they have used. The procedure may be summarized as follows: A short dense text is read twice to learners at normal speed. As it is being read, the learners jot down familiar words and phrases. Working in small groups, the learners pool their bettered texts and strive to reconstruct a version of the text from their shared resources. Each group of students produces its own reconstructed version, aiming at grammatical accuracy and textual cohesion but not at replicating the original text.

 The various versions are analysed and compared and the students refine their own texts in the light of the shared scrutiny and discussion. 2. Who is this procedure for? It is for teachers of learners whose primary needs are: - A more precise understanding of how to use the grammar of English. - Accuracy in language use for both spoken and written purposes. - Written English, for example, at school, college, or university where students are required to write cohesive texts in English, such as essays, reports, assignments, theses, etc - Preparation for entrance examinations to institutes of higher education where a knowledge of grammar and the ability to write a sustained piece of prose are required. 3. What are the aims? Dictogloss has a number of aims: a.It aims to provide an opportunity for learners to use their linguistic resources which are called upon as they pool their fragmented notes and consider the various language options available to them. b.It aims to encourage learners to find out what they do and do not know about English. This is realized in the attempts to reconstruct the text and in the subsequent analysis of those attempts. c. It aims to upgrade and refine the learners use of the language through a comprehensive analysis of language options in the correction of the learners approximate texts.

Learners who regularly engage in dictogloss lessons will gradually see a refinement in their global aural comprehension and note-taking skills. While these are not primary aims of the method, they are important byproducts. 4. What happens in the Dictogloss procedure? There are four stages in the procedure: a. Preparation when the learner finds out about the topic of the text and is prepared for some of the vocabulary. Warm up, Vocabulary pre-taught if the teacher thinks there are many words the students do not know, clear and checked instructions, organise pair or group work. b. Dictation when the learner hears the text and takes fragmentary notes. As a standard the learners should hear the dictation twice. The first time they should not write, and allow the words to be assimilated. This way they will get a global feeling of the whole passage. The second time, they should take down notes. They should be encouraged to write down the words that will help them to piece together the text in the later reconstruction stage. Such words as content words: farmer, sold, horse. c. Reconstruction when the learner reconstructs the text on the basis of the fragments recorded in stage b. Learners in groups proceed to pool their notes and work on the version of the text. It helps if each group has a scribe through whom all suggestions are channelled. When it is complete the group checks the text for grammar, textual cohesion, and logical sense.

d. Analysis and correction when the learners analyse and correct their text there are various ways of doing this: Using the blackboard, the students texts are written up for all to see and discuss. This is best conducted on a sentence basis: sentence 1 of each group is analysed before moving on to sentence 2 of each group. Instead of blackboard, OHP can be used. Each text can be photocopied and the class can examine them either sentence by sentence or text by text. Correction against the original text which is copied on an acetate or ppt presentation the groups to analyse and compare against it. (demonstration.)

5. What is the value of Dictogloss? - Interaction: The key to the dictogloss approach to grammar is interaction. The method requires learners in the classroom to interact with each other in small groups so as to reconstruct the text as a cooperative endeavour. - Active involvement: As they learn students make many and varied and constantly changing hypotheses about language. These involve the learner in active decision- making about the target language. Some of these decisions are conscious, some are subconscious, some relate to learning, some to communication strategies. - An information gap the role of memory and creativity: For dictogloss to work well, the important balance between the role of memory and the role of creativity must be understood and well exploited. At the moment when reconstruction starts the learners are

faced with the central and crucially important information gap. This information gap will get them to recur to their memory and once writing the text, since there are no visual elements they will use their own creativity to put it together and to find the right written forms. - Grammar in context: The issue of grammar is approached from within the context in which that grammar is found. In other words, language forms, structures, and patterns are treated from the perspective of their particular contextual meaning. They are not dealt with in isolation as instances of rules where usage has no meaning. Grammar that is out of context has little meaning or practical value for the language learner. Demonstration:

Im Kate.
Language points: - contractions - Present simple tense, - Present perfect simple tense, showing duration - Gerund after like - Adverbial intensifier (really) Preparation: This warm up works better if students do not know themselves very well:
Name? Where ? How long..? Age..? Married.. Like ? English ?

Warm-up: 1.Ask students to form pairs. 2.Ask each pair to find out their partners names, where they come from, how long they have lived here, their age, if they are married of single, if they like English. 3.Get them to record their answers. Pre-text vocabulary: - single ( adj.) not married. - To share ( a house with) verb: to live with other people. Text: Im Kate and I come from Guanajuato. Ive been in this city for three years and I really like being here. I am twenty years old and Im single. I share a house with two other girls. They are Susan and Patsy. Im a student and I really like studying English.

GRAMMAR DICTATION Worksheet

With your peer (s) discuss the following: 1. What is Grammar Dictation?

2. Demonstration (make notes below):

3. What are the aims? Who is this procedure for?

4. What the benefits of this procedure?

5. What are the four stages of Grammar Dictation?

6. Look at the following condensed text and prepare a demonstration with your partners. Think of the stages of this procedure: Text.

An exploding bullet blew off a young boys thumb yesterday. The boy was playing at a neighbours house when he found the bullet in the garden. He bashed it on a fence and it exploded. The neighbour heard the boys cries and called for help. An ambulance rushed the child to hospital. He is recovering from the accident.

7. Conclusion: Write your comments on the value of Grammar Dictation.