The Use of Dictogloss Technique in Teaching Grammar Through Writing

Introduction

It is often thought that by the dictogloss technique we only mean dictating a phrase or sentence for students to write down. In fact, dictogloss is a classroom dictation activity where learners are required to reconstruct a short text by listening and noting down key words, which are then used as a base for reconstruction. Actually, dictogloss was introduced in 1990 by Ruth Wajnryb as an alternative method of studying grammar. It combines dictation, paraphrase, and interpretation (Newman, E. 2012, Dare to Dictogloss!) and engages multiple skills (Nabei, T. 1996Dictogloss). The concept is simple: learners listen to a passage, note down key words, and then work together to create a reconstructed version of the text. In a dictogloss task, learners listen, write, and speak, relying on their knowledge of semantic, syntactic, and discourse systems of the target language to complete the task, with the focus remaining on grammatical competence (Vasilijevic, Z.2010. Dictogloss as an interactive method of teaching listening comprehension to L2 learners). Adaptations of dictogloss now exist, but essentially R. Wajnryb outlines four phases. Preparation or Warm-up: in this phase, the topic is introduced and key vocabulary is addressed. In dictation, or the second phase, the teacher reads a passage at normal speed two or three times. The first time, learners listen; the second time, they note down anything they catch; and if there is a third reading, learners expand their notes. In reconstruction, or the third phase of dictogloss, learners work together in small groups to reconstruct a version of the text from their shared notes. The reconstruction may focus on the replication or similarity of meaning, depending on the teacher's objective. Analysis and correction: in this phase, learners analyze and compare their text with the reconstructions of other groups. The class may discuss the differences in the texts, then compare their texts with the original and note or make necessary corrections. (Wajnryb, R. 1990 Grammar dictation). Through this procedure, learners or the teacher may identify key grammar points or organizational points for discussion and practice. In my experience, I have noticed that when doing dictogloss, students are more focused and group work is more precise. They start developing their awareness of how to be more cohesive and coherent.

Literature review

What is dictogloss? Dictogloss was formulated by Ruth Wajnryb in 1990 to emphasize grammar; it involves students listening to a short text read at normal speed, then reconstructing as well as paraphrasing or interpreting (the gloss part) the text. (Malay, A. 1990 resource Books for teacher, Grammar Dictation by Ruth Wajnryb, series by Alan Maley). According to Wajnryb, the task focuses not only on learning in a whole-class setting (on learner output) but also on learner interaction. It implements dictogloss tasks creatively according to students' needs. In the different stages of dictogloss, learners may be involved in listening, remembering, and writing. (Wajnryb, R. 1990 Grammar Dictation). Small defines dictogloss as an activity in which short pieces of language are read out at normal speed to students. ( Small, J.(2003)Combining Dictogloss and cooperative Learning to Promote Language Learning. The Reading Matrix). Swain and Lapking, in their extensive research on learning outcomes in a French immersion program, found that dictogloss encourages beneficial interaction during collaborative tasks by providing explicit information about grammatical forms before learners carry out the tasks, training learners to notice and repair their language errors, and modeling how learners interact with each other. (Lapkin, S. and Swain, M. (1998), Interaction and second Language Learning: Two adolescents French Immersion Students Working Together. The modern Language Journal). Vasilijevic has noted that through dictogloss, students are actively involved in the learning process and there are multiple opportunities for peer learning and peer teaching. (Vasilijevic, Z. (2010)Dictogloss as an Interactive Method of Teachimg Listening Comprehension to L2 Learners). The dictogloss procedure, as Karen has noted, facilitates the development of learners’ communicative competence. (Karen, M. S. Dictogloss a Multi Skill Tasks For Accuracy in Writing Through Cooperative Learning). Another advantage of the dictogloss method is that reconstruction tasks can raise students' awareness of rhetorical patterns in the target language (Kaplan, R. B. (1996) Cultural Thought Pattern in intercultural education.

Language Learning). Renshaw values dictogloss as a way of raising a deep awareness of grammar whilst integrating all skills. ( Renshaw, J. (2002) English Raven Blog).

Methodology - Data Collection

The aim of this paper is to examine how the dictogloss method and cooperative learning can be combined to promote the development of listening, writing, and speaking skills of second language learners. The research methods and instruments that have been helpful while conducting this research paper are comparative and descriptive methods, as well as the dictogloss technique, which is an alternative way of getting students to learn note-taking skills, as they need to listen to a text being read and reconstruct it. This study collected data from 80 10^th-grade students who study at the professional pre-university school “Luciano Motroni”. The written text I decided to use for dictogloss is in the past tense with regular verbs. At the beginning, I explained the whole process to all my students, especially note-taking skills, as they needed to listen to the text in order to reconstruct it from memory and then compare it with the original text. These students were chosen because they had mixed proficiency in English and were more suited to participating in listening and writing.

Data Analyses

The data collection and analysis for this study derived from dictogloss. I used this technique because it involves students collaboratively reconstructing the text from memory and then comparing it with the original. Both the reconstruction phase and the comparison phase encourage a strong form-focus, which is good for alerting students at this level to features of language that might ordinarily pass them by. (Thornbury, S. (1999) How to teach grammar through text).

Step 1 – Preparation Phase – Warm-up

In this phase, I set the theme by introducing the topic. After chatting about this for a few minutes, I explained to my students that I was going to read to them about a boy and his poor family. I told them, ’ I want you to listen and as soon as I finish I want you to write down any words, phrases or sentences that you can remember’, and then I read the text.

Once upon a time, there was a boy who lived in a small house near the forest. He liked playing with his dog. His parents were very poor. He was only five, but he could read and write. One day he wrote a letter to the richest man in the nearby town. He asked not for money, but for a job for his father and some medicine for his sick mum. The rich man came to the boy’s house. He saw the small boy and his family. He talked to them and took the boy’s mother to hospital. He also offered the boy’s father a job in his factory and gave the boy many wooden toys. When his mum returned from hospital, they all had a big party.

Step 2 - Three readings

At this stage, students listen to the text and take notes. The text is normally read twice or three times at natural speed. The first time, students do not take notes. The second time, they note down key words to help them remember the content. The third time is conducted in the same manner as the second time.

First reading – ‘I want from you to put down your pencils, because I am going to read a text three times. This is first time and it is not a dictation so you don’t need to write. You will not be able to remember everything so, do not worry. All you have to do is to listen, concentrate and to understand! No writing! At the end of the first reading you will have five minutes to write down what you remember’. After I finished my first reading, students or groups had five minutes to write words or phrases that they remembered.

Second reading – For the second reading, I asked students to concentrate, listen, understand, and take notes on important information. I explained to them again that they had five minutes to write down what they remembered, because the goal of this stage was to convey the same meaning as my passage even if their words were different. (appendix 1)

Third reading – After I had read the text for the last time, I asked my students to work in groups and to write a paragraph using all the words and sentences they had written and things that they remembered. They had 20 minutes to think, talk, and write as a group. (appendix 2)

Step 3 - Reconstruction

In the reconstruction phase, I chose a student to act as the class scribe and to write the reconstructed version of the text on one half of the board, incorporating the suggestions of all students in the class. At this stage, I did not intervene at all, except to answer relatively minor questions about vocabulary and spelling. (appendix 3)

Step 4 -Analysis and correction

During this phase, I wrote the original text on the board next to the students’ reconstructed version, and I asked them to identify differences between the two texts. They were quick and noticed differences in grammar, word order, word formation, and the substitution of reach for rich, but they were slower to notice the possessive “boy’s”. (appendix 4)

Results

Based on the findings from the students’ writing in the first cycle, the results show that all groups failed to complete the writing of their narrative text. I found that students made a lot of grammatical errors in their writing, especially in using the past tense and verbs ending in ‘ed’. I noticed that students tend to pick up irregular past forms ( went, sent, wrote...) before regular verbs (lived, liked, offered.) On the other hand, the students participated well and paid good attention to the dictogloss technique. In the second cycle, students’ results were better and higher than in the first cycle. Based on the analysis of the narrative texts, I found that in this cycle the students showed rapid improvement in their grammar, especially with the past tense and the verb ending ‘ed’. However, they still made a lot of mistakes in vocabulary, word order, and pronunciation. To sum up, based on the results above, the use of the dictogloss technique has been proven to improve grammar and the ability to write narrative texts. Dictogloss also encouraged the students to learn actively and collaboratively. This technique helps integrate skills to promote writing, listening, speaking, reading, and grammar. Finally, while students were working, I noticed that during dictogloss they were quite serious, active, and worked very precisely with grammar.

Conclusions

Through this research paper, I wanted to draw attention to the importance of the dictogloss technique in teaching grammar through listening and writing. All the data gathered during this research indicated that the use of dictogloss for teaching grammar was successful, and through collaborative writing, dictogloss can improve students’ competence in grammar, especially in the second cycle or the second time using the dictogloss technique. Based on the results above, the use of the dictogloss technique has been proved to help improve grammar and the ability to write narrative texts. It also encouraged the students to learn actively and collaboratively. This technique helps integrate skills to promote writing (reconstructing stage), speaking (to group-mates during the reconstructing process), reading, and grammar (note-taking in the listening stage and after the dictation stage). Moreover, from this research I observed that through dictogloss, students are more focused and the groups work more precisely; they also start developing an awareness of how to be more cohesive and coherent.

Appendix - The Text I Have Used for Conducting the Dictogloss Technique

Once upon a time, there was a boy who lived in a small house near the forest. He liked playing with his dog. His parents were very poor. He was only five, but he could read and write. One day he wrote a letter to the richest man in the nearby town. He asked not for money, but for a job for his father and some medicine for his sick mum. The rich man came to the boy’s house. He saw the small boy and his family. He talked to them and took the boy’s mother to hospital. He also offered the boy’s father a job in his factory and gave the boy many wooden toys. When his mum returned from hospital, they all had a party.

References