DICTATION METHOD

Dictation has been used in language learning for several hundred years, and methodologists have often made pedagogical claims for its value. Davis and Rinvolucri (1988) write that "Decoding the sounds of English and recoding them in writing is a major learning task", and Frodesen (1991) writes that dictation can be "an effective way to address grammatical errors in writing that may be the result of erroneous aural perception of English.... Dictation can help students to diagnose and correct these kinds of errors as well as others". Montalvan (1990) writes that "as students develop their aural comprehension of meaning and also of the relationship among segments of language, they are learning grammar."

Despite claims such as these from respected methodologists, dictation is not widely used in ESL programs. Likewise, it has long been ignored in most teacher-training programs. The purpose of this paper is to re-introduce dictation as a valuable language learning device and to suggest ways for using it in an effective and interesting manner. Moreover Dictation is seen by many teachers as somewhat old-fashioned, a relic of the grammar-translation method that dominated language teaching until the last couple of decades of the 20th century. For many people it brings back unhappy memories of dull, uncommunicative and often difficult lessons, where the focus was fairly and squarely on accuracy of language.

However, if you reflect for a moment on what dictation actually does, then you will see that it can be an extremely versatile activity. It practices first and foremost listening and writing skills and within the latter a range of sub-skills from letter formation to spelling, punctuation and lay-out. It can also be argued that it practices vocabulary, syntax, and grammar, when the writer reviews his or her work, reading. In short, it gives practice in almost everything. The one skill absent from this list is the speaking skill, but this too can be practiced if the dictation is approached in a slightly different way.

According to R. Montalvan (1990), there are “at least 20 advantages of dictation, and the most important are:

1) Dictation can help develop all four language skills in an integrated way;

2) It can help learn grammar;

3) It helps to develop short-term memory;

4) Practice in careful listening to a speaker will be useful to learners in the future in the note taking activities, for instance, listening to lectures;

5) Dictation fosters unconscious thinking in the new language;

6) Correction can be done by the students - peer correction of written dictation leads to oral communication”. Despite its benefits, currently dictation is not widely used in teaching English mainly because some language practitioners consider it teacher-centered and old-fashioned.

Delivering a Dictation

A good time to deliver a dictation is at the beginning of class. The reasons are to focus the students on English right away, calm them down, and ensure punctuality. For their transcriptions, I request that students use pencils and uniform notebooks with lined paper. I also ask that they write their transcriptions on every other line, so corrections can be marked between the lines if necessary.

Before beginning the dictation, the teacher writes on the board any proper nouns, abbreviations (etc., e.g., i.e., and so on), acronyms, or foreign or specialized words within the dictation that he or she has not previously explained. The teacher also writes on the board the chosen spelling for any word that is commonly spelled in more than one way (e.g., rock and roll/rock'n'roll).

To begin the exercise, the teacher reads the dictation through once, at normal speaking speed. As stated earlier, it is recommended that the teacher select a passage from the class textbook with which the students are already familiar (e.g., part of an essay, short story, or article). During this first reading, the students should only listen.

The teacher then reads the dictation through a second time, at a slightly slower speed. The students begin transcribing. The teacher stops after each phrase or meaningful unit and also calls out punctuation, which the students must include in their transcriptions. Occasionally a student will ask for a word or phrase to be repeated; I will generally repeat any word or phrase once, if requested. For any words the students cannot hope to transcribe, I tell them to leave a blank and to continue with transcribing the dictation.

The teacher then reads the dictation through a third time at normal speaking speed, again including punctuation. During this reading, the students check their work and make any last changes. After finishing the dictation and allowing the students a minute or two for final corrections, the teacher instructs the students to stop. They then take out the source material for the dictation and self-correct their transcriptions. Alternatively, the teacher can have the students correct each other's dictations. Whatever the case, the corrections should be in ink, in order to distinguish them from the transcriptions.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Dictation

Dictation has been used in language learning for several hundred years. However, the use of dictation has always been controversial. It has not always been looked on with favors by some experts. For example, Lado (1977: 34) says that dictation is favored by many teachers and students both as a teaching and testing device, but on critical inspection it appears to measure very little of language. Since the words are given, it does not test vocabulary. In line with Lado’s opinion above, Harris (1969: 5) believes that as a testing device, dictation must be regarded as generally uneconomical and imprecise.

Contrary to those two beliefs above, Davis and Rinvolucri (1993: 122) found out that dictation can be very useful as a test by which to ascertain the pupil’s progress in spelling, punctuation and pronunciation. They further stated that dictation is an activity which is suitable for a wide range of levels and ages. According to them, dictation is an exercise which draws on the personal experience, attitudes and opinions of what both teachers and students. The following are some advantages according to Montalvan (2006):

Dictation can help develop all four language skills in an integrative way:

1.       As students develop their aural comprehension of meaning also of the relationship among segments of language, they are learning grammar.

2.       Dictation helps to develop short-term memory. Students practice retaining meaningful phrases or whole sentences before writing them down.

3.       Practice in careful listening to dictation will be useful later on in note taking exercises.

4.       Correcting dictation can lead to oral communication.

5.       Dictation can serve as an excellent review exercise.

6.       Dictation is psychologically powerful and challenging.

7.       Dictation fosters unconscious thinking in the new language.

8.       If the students do well, dictation is motivating. 

9.       Dictation involves the whole class, no matter how large it is.

1During and after the dictation, all the students are active.

11.   Correction can be done by the students.

12.   Dictation can be prepared for mixed ability groups.

13.   Dictation can be prepared for any level.

14.   The students, as well as the teacher, can get instant feedback (if the exercise is corrected immediately).

15.   The dictation passage can (and should) be completely prepared in advance (it also can be taped).

16.   Dictation can be administered quite effectively by an inexperienced teacher.

17.   While dictating, the teacher can move about, giving individual attention.

18.   Dictation exercises can pull the class together, for example, during those valuable first minutes.

19.   Dictation can provide access to interesting texts, by introducing a topic, for example, or summarizing it, as in a dicto-comp.

Research has shown the learning to write down what you hear can encourage the development of literacy. After reviewing the advantages and disadvantages of dictation, the influence of it on students’ achievement in mastering listening material will be discussed.

Characteristics of Middle School Students

Early adolescents are in a particularly difficult state of development. As stated in the website document, Characteristics of Young Adolescents, “Youth between the ages of 10 to 15 are characterized by their diversity as they move through the puberty growth cycle at varying times and rates. Yet as a group they reflect important developmental characteristics that have major implications for those agencies that seek to serve them.”

Middle school students are experiencing dramatic changes in physical development, although the rate at which this development occurs varies individually. Changes in height, and weight, and in body chemistry are taking place, along with rapid sexual development. This heightened physical growth, together with their tendency to be very active, causes frequent fatigue in early adolescence. Many of them find it difficult to cope with the many changes taking place in them and compare themselves unfavorably to their peers. At the same time, they are often concerned about their ability to learn and whether or not they can meet the expectations of parents and other adults. Students of this age are sensitive and have a strong need for approval from others; thus, deflating comments or criticism sometimes have debilitating effects. Conversely, they are frequently thoughtless and calloused in their relationships with one another. They seek associations, relationships, and links with people, things, and new ideas.

They are particularly concerned about peer approval and acceptance, and they need close friends their own age that can provide the comfort and understanding they find hard to get from adults. Most early adolescents enjoy team sports, thrive on competition, work hard at perfecting athletic skills, and respect good sportsmanship. They seek values in simplified, concrete forms; are often hyper idealistic; and demand fair treatment. They are usually excitable, easily motivated, creative, inquisitive, and eager to explore; but if not active participants in learning situations, they may easily drift into day dreams.