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Perfect Dictation
Like a running dictation, but it has to be perfect!
A simple twist on a classic activity which will really get them focusing on accuracy, all while getting them out of their seats, making them read, speak, and listen.
No printing or preparation needed!
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Put students into groups of three. Student A and B scan the QR code and then, once the page has loaded, click their corresponding "Student A" or "Student B" button. Students A and B will read, Student C will act as a messenger.
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Put the A's at one end of the classroom and the B's at the other (or take them outside if you fancy).
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Student A must dictate the first line of the text to Student C who must run to Student B and dictate what they heard.
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Student B will type what they are told. If it is exactly correct, the next line of text will be revealed.
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Student B will then dictate this line to Student C, who will head back to and dictate it to Student A.
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This continues until the team has revealed the entire 8 line text.
Many of the texts have riddles, questions, or challenges in them. The first group to tell their teacher the correct answer is the winner.
This is an accuracy task. It may be beneficial to review punctuation vocabulary and let them know that they must be exactly correct in order to move to the next line of the text. Read below for a few extra ideas on how this activity can be put to good use.
Instructions
When you select a topic, you will see extra instructions, answers, or tips here.
Make sure to let your students know before they start, that they will need to come to you with an answer at the end. In this case, to describe you in three adjectives.
The first team to show you a completed text and give you three adjectives is the winner. Hopefully they are flattering!
Roses are red,
violets are blue.
Sugar is sweet,
and so are you.
We all are unique
from different perspectives.
Now describe your teacher
in only three adjectives.
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Tips:
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Keep each line short. This is a challenging exercise and we recommend, for best results, that you keep each line to a maximum of 20-25 characters. Longer lines can cause frustration for students.
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Stick to commonly used characters. Some browsers may not recognise more unusual characters, such as particular currency symbols. Though rare, this can cause the activity to throw up an error.
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Test both A and B versions of your game yourself before using with your class.
Your Dictations
Your saved dictations will appear below
A few more ideas...
This exercise can be used in the manor described above, but here are a few other ideas for how you might want to use it, especially when creating your own if you have a Premium account.
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Pronunciation - Tell students that they must not spell any words for their partner. Using minimal pairs, like our example, they have to pronounce the words clearly enough that their partner can correctly identify which word they are saying.
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Spelling - Many students have real trouble with the English alphabet. This activity can be a great way for them to practice it. Take a look at our "Swahili Masks" example. It is a basic google translation of the poem "Masks" by Shel Silverstein (look it up if you don't know it, it's beautiful). Unless you are teaching in East Africa, it is unlikely that your students will be able to simply dictate these words to each other. More likely, they will need to go letter by letter. Alphabet practice aplenty.
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Speaking volume - Some students just don't speak loudly enough! In which case, this activity can be very simply modified to teams of two. Instead of having a runner, the two students just shout to each other. With everyone shouting at the same time, they will have to really raise their voices to be heard.
These are just a few examples of what is possible with Perfect Dictations but if you let your imagination run free, you will no doubt find multiple other uses.
Create your own with Englishable Premium
With an Englishable Premium membership you are able to create and save up to 10 of your own Perfect Dictations. Each one will generate its own QR code, so your students will be able to view them on their phones in an instant. To see more that's on offer with a premium account, click here.