18.3.2. Dictation

The value of this activity has been noted a number of times already. It is flexible enough to be used in a mixed-ability situation, allowing the very able students to tackle with the entire passage and the other two levels to fill in appropriate blanks in their own copies. The following passage for dictation is taken from Combe Martin, Listening and Comprehending, Macmillan 1970:

Seeing the World

David was an energetic, ambitious young man / who lived in a remote village in Yorkshire / where there was little for him to do to earn a living. // He ran errands for the local farmers, / delivered newspapers for the village shop / and helped his parents who ran a small, picturesque hotel. // One morning he announced he was going to leave home and see the world. // His father was very upset / and reminded him that the money he had saved would not last very long. // But David insisted, / telling his parents that they need not worry / as he was sure he would be able to manage.

Level A (very able). Lexically, this is quite a difficult passage and is certain to be a challenge even at this level. These students should do it as a straightforward dictation first and then use it for follow-up activities.

Level B (able). This level could do a partial dictation. Certain structural words and content words would be missing from their copies of the dictated passage and they would have to be put in.

Level C (less able). In this case, students would have the complete passage in front of them, but there would be multiple-choice frames within the text and they would indicate the word, or phrase, which they thought they had heard.

18.3.3. Reading comprehension

We shall make use of the same passage to illustrate levels of comprehension and ways of encouraging members of the group to help each other. In using the same passage, however, we must be aware of the danger that the material itself could be too difficult for the third level, but this is an area where the group can help itself.

Although the passage has a number of difficult words in it, and the opening sentence has a fairly complex grammatical structure, it is not too difficult from point of view of content and concepts. Young people are interested in reading about other young people with the sense of adventure and a desire to leave home.

Before giving out work cards to the groups the teacher could introduce the material as follows:

1. Class discussion of the general theme. The passage goes on to describe David’s problems in London before he eventually met a friend who helped him to get a job on board a cargo ship.

2. Dealing with difficult vocabulary by making the fullest possible use of the very able students. It may be necessary to use some first-language equivalents at this stage.

3. Group discussion based on a few very general questions put on the board by the teacher. Again, the more able students will assist the weaker ones.

1. What kind of person was David? (Group leaders will not accept ‘an energetic, ambitious young man’).

2. What did not he have any proper work?

3. Why was his father worried?

4. If you were David’s friend what advice would you give him?

4. Use of work cards at appropriate level. Although firmly based on the understanding of the passage, the questions would encourage a variety of different activities.

5. Follow-up work and more extended writing.

S ample work cards

WORK CARD A

1. What sort of activity is suggested by the phrase ‘ran errands’?

2. Why do you think the writer uses the word ‘announced’ rather than ‘said’?

3. Suggest the actual words David might have used when he made his announcement.

4. Do you think they would have been any different if the writer had used ‘said’?

5. Describe the father’s attitude.

6. To what extent do you think David’s decision was inevitable?

7. Work with a partner and write a short dialogue between David and his father.

Be prepared to act it later.

WORK CARD B

1. Suggest three errands that David might run for the local farmers.

2. Guess David’s age and give your reasons.

3. How do you think David made contact with the local farmers?

4. Give another phrase with about the same meaning ‘see the world’.

5. Why did David have very little money?

6. What do you think David’s actual words were when he insisted that he wanted to

leave home?

7. Complete the following dialogue between David’s parents:

Mother: You look upset, dear. Is anything wrong?

Father: David has just told me…

Mother: Oh, no. … him not to go?

Father: I’ve… but … determined…

Mother: Let me…

Father: I don’t think…

WORK CARD C

1. D avid did not have a proper job because he was lazy. TRUE 

FALSE 

2. ‘Energetic’ means a) lively; b) unhappy; c) selfish; d) quiet.

3. David was an ambitious young man. What was one of his ambitions?

4. David delivered newspapers for the village shop.

This sentence means: a) He brought the newspapers to the shop.

2. He was the shopkeeper.

3. He worked for the shopkeeper.

4. He read many newspapers.

5. Did David have a lot of money?

Answer: Yes, he did because…

Or No, he did not because…

6. What was David’s father’s work? What was his mother’s work?

7. Complete this conversation between David and his father:

David: Dad, there’s something I want to tell you.

Father: Yes, what… it?

David: You know that I… find any… here.

Father: Well, you …for the local farmers and you… the newspapers.

David: I mean…work. So, I’m… home. My ambition is….

Father: But you…money for that. … with us for another year.

David: No, Dad, I… go. I… stay.