ESL activities:Running dictations

Running dictation is one of the most amusing and engaging ESL collaborative activities. What makes running dictation so popular among teachers and students is because it practices the four language skills: reading, writing, speaking and listening.

“RUNNING DICTATION” é unha das actividades colaborativas máis motivadoras e divertidas que se poden realizar na clase de inglés. O que a fai tan populare é que permite practicar as catro destrezas lingüísticas: ler, escribir, escoitar e falar.

HOW TO PLAY IT

You can divide students in pairs or in threes. Each pair/group will have a paper and a pen and an area to write.

The teacher will have to prepare a short text, dialogue,instructions, a picture,…(depending on the purpose of the dictation) printed on a paper and stick some copies around the classroom walls.

When the teacher shout GO! one “runner” will run to their sheet of paper, read a part of the text or one instruction, get information from the picture…and try to remember it. Then, the” runner” will run back and quietly dictate or decribe the “secretary” as much as they can remember. The “secretary” will have to listen carefully and write this down, draw a picture,… It is important that the runner dictates and does not write, for the activity to work.

If students play in pairs, after 2-3 minutes, the teacher will shout ‘CHANGE!’, and now the “runnner” and the “secretary” will swap roles.

If students play in groups, runners will play in turns. Before starting , students will have to agree their roles in the game.

COMO XOGAR

Esta actividade pode ser realizada en parellas ou en pequenos grupos. Cada parella/grupo terá un boli, un papel e unha zona de traballo. O mestre ten que imprimir un papel cun texto, diálogo ou debuxo e pegar varias copias nas paredes da aula. Ao grito de GO!, un dos corredores de cada parella ou grupo, correrá ao papel pegado na parede, lerá un trozo do texto, interpretará parte da información do debuxo,.. e intentará memorizalo. Logo terá que volver e dictarlle ou describir o que recorde sen berrar ao secretario do grupo ou parella que terá que escoitar atentamente e reproducir o que escoite.

Se a actividade se realiza en parellas, despois de 2-3 minutos, os membros da parella cambiarán de rol. Se a actividade se realiza en grupo, os corredores a realizarán en turnos. Neste caso, previamente, decidirán que papel van a desenvolver no xogo.

RUNNING DICTATION RULES

• The runners won’t block each other while running or trying to see the text.

• The text cannot be seen by the person writing but that the distance to “run” is fairly short.

• Runner must whisper to their “secretary” or partner.

REGRAS DA ACTIVIDADE

• Os corredores non poden bloquear aos outros corredores ou impedir que vexan o seu papel.

• O “secretario” non pode ver o papel pero este non pode estar lonxe do grupo ou parella.

• Os “corredores” deben transmitir o texto ou a instrucción en baixo.

COMPARATIVE ADJECTIVES RUNNING DICTATION RELAY RACE

Last week, students in Level 5 played a fun version of this activity. On this occasion, they worked in groups of 3. The aim was to invent 12 sentences using pictures and choosing a right adjective from a list. When the game was over, we went through the sentences together as a class and checked for grammar or spelling mistakes. The group with the fewest errors was the winner.

A semana pasada, os alumnos de 5º realizaron unha version desta actividade. Nesta ocasión, en grupos de 3, tiveron que inventar 12 frases empregando unha imaxe e escollendo un adxectivo que se axustase a imaxe dunha lista de adxectivos. Cando todos os grupos conseguiron rematar o xogo, revisamos en conxunto as frases inventadas para reforzar a gramática e a ortografía. O grupo co menor número de erros foi o gañador.