DICTOGLOSS
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EDITOR'S NOTE: See also the TESL-L archive DICTATE FILE.
Date: Thu, 13 Apr 1995
From: Margo de Wolf <
Subject: grammar dictation or dictogloss
Dear all,
Here are my two cents to the thread on dictation. Having read
Naomi's Migliacci's posting on her dictation method, I reached out to
my bookshelves and picked out Grammar Dictation by Ruth Wajnryb
(Oxford University Press - ISBN 0-19-437004-6). Apparently,
grammar dictation or dictogloss is a fairly recent task-
based procedure "designed to help students towards a better
understanding of how grammar works on a text basis. It is designed to
expose where their language-learner shortcomings (and needs) are, so
that teaching can be directed more precisely towards these areas. In
this sense it is eminently learner-needs based."
There are three stages to the procedure:
1. Listening (where the teacher dictates a short text at normal speed
and learners jot down key words);
2. Text reconstruction (where students in small groups
pool their resources to reconstruct a version of the text, aiming at
grammatical accuracy, textual cohesion and logical sense;
3. Analysis and correction.
I haven't used this procedure myself yet, but it seems worth
exploring. In addition to a description of the procedure, the
book contains 60 texts at various levels for use in dictogloss
lessons. I would be interested to hear if anyone out there has used
this procedure.
Cheers,
Margo de Wolf
James Boswell Instituut / Universiteit Utrecht
The Netherlands
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Date: Thu, 13 Apr 1995
From: Greta Vollmer <
Subject: Re: grammar dictation or dictogloss
Dear Margo,
I use dictogloss on a regular basis (by that, I mean
once or twice a month) and am pleased with the results.
The students (I teach high school) like the "game"
feel it has and as I walk around, I hear a lot of
talk about grammar and surface features going on;
the kinds of things I want them to be looking for
in their own papers. I've never actually taped
and analyzed a group working, so I don't know what's
happening in groups of mixed levels(i.e. is there
some room for contribution of lower level students,
or are the higher proficiency students dominating the
reconstruction?)
Greta Vollmer

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Date: Fri, 14 Apr 1995
From: Mark Wade Lieu <
Subject: Re: grammar dictation or dictogloss
On Thu, 13 Apr 1995, Margo de Wolf wrote:
> Here are my two cents to the thread on dictation. Having read
> Naomi's Migliacci's posting on her dictation method, I reached out to
> my bookshelves and picked out Grammar Dictation by Ruth Wajnryb
> (Oxford University Press - ISBN 0-19-437004-6).
I've used this book in my ESL classes as well, but I've had trouble with
the students insisting on reconstructing the sentences exactly as they
were dictated. They have troubles with the idea that variations in correct
forms exist. How have people who have used this book managed to get
students to loosen up a bit during the reconstruction part of the
exercise? Do you just dictate faster so that they can't write down as
many key words?
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Date: Fri, 25 Oct 1996
From: "" <
Subject: dictogloss
well comrades
i got a load of responses when i asked if anyone was interested in finding
out about dictogloss. here is a text and instructions. let me
acknowledge again dr ruth wynryb who has written books on this and taught
me about it. her books on it are: grammar workout (1&2). what you have
below is my own work as written out for the place where i work: i.l.c.,
university of technology, sydney.
this was written for a pre-intermediate class and i wrote a more
complex one on the same for an intermediate class. the whole activity
goes for an hour to hour and a half derpending on steps vii, vii and x.
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
1. Martin Luther King was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia,
U.S.A.
2. He led non-violent protests against racial discrimination and the
Vietnam War.
3. In 1964, King won the Nobel Peace Prize.
4. Only four years later he was shot and killed.
5. His dream is still remembered and his birthday is now a U.S.
public holiday.
(N.B. Stevie Wonder's "Happy Birthday", from Hotter than July, can be done
with this.)
INSTRUCTIONS:
i Explain task/activity to Ss.
ii Read once at story telling speed (not like a dictation). Ss must
not write during this reading.
iii Ask comprehension questions to ascertain that Ss have understood
the story and have no vocabulary difficulties. T elicits questions from
them.
iv Instruct Ss to get ready to make notes on the important elements
of the story, i.e. content and grammar, while you read it at about the
same speed as before. Tell them that it will be impossible to write down
every word, and that they should keep up with the sentence you are
reading. It is a good idea for them to write 1-5 down the margin of their
page first. Make sure Ss realise that this will be the final reading.
v Now read the passage at a similar speed to the first time with a
4-5 second pause between each sentence. Say the number for each sentence
to assist Ss in keeping up. Ss take notes.
vi When reading is finished, T is silent to give Ss 2 minutes to
quietly fix up their notes.
vii Put Ss in groups of 3-5 (3 groups in total work well). Each group
chooses a secretary and puts together a group rendering of the story. The
grammar can be changed, but must be correct. The story should be complete
and unchanged.
viii When Ss are roughly finished (about 15mins) groups can swap
versions to swap ideas.
ix After a few more minutes to make any last changes, they write up
their groups version on the board, or on a transparency, with all the
first sentences next to each other, and all the second, etc.
x T goes through differences between the versions eliciting and
giving corrections.
There is usually no need to refer to the original and T should not give
Ss a copy of the original or show it to them.
hope this helps. feel free to write and ask me more or about my
experiences with it. n.b. my spelling of dictogloss is correct.
sorry this is so long but there was no short way to do it.
grumpy george
sydney, australia

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