Customer Reviews

Dictation: New Methods, New Possibilities (Cambridge Handbooks for Language Teachers)

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I teach a intermediate/advanced reading and writing class in an adult English as a Second Language program in Arlington, Virginia, and this book is by far my favorite resource. My students are always asking for dictations, and this book provides stimulating twists on the standard dictation. Each activity is rated as to the difficulty and adaptability level, and most activities are adaptable to different levels. The book provides activities for groups and pair work, which is so important in the adult ESL classroom. The activities really get the students excited, and many get them up and moving around. A favorite is an activity called "Messenger and Scribe" in which one student reads from a prepared text taped to the wall in the hallway, remembers what he or she has read, and returns to the classroom to dictate to the "Scribe" in the pair what the text says. This provides excellent opportunities for self-correction, and different prepared texts can be used for different level students in a multi-level classroom. I highly recommend this book to any teacher who is looking for a new way to present an old favorite. If reading and writing is even a small part of the class that you teach, this book should be on your shelf.