Dictation to Improve Your Listening

Dictation is a great way to improve your listening, but it can be very challenging. In today's activity we look at a site that helps you improve your listening and at how you can approach dictation activities without being defeated by them.
The activity uses a site called Listen and Write. This site has some good clear audio recordings and some useful tools to help you through the dictation.

Task:

• You are going to listen to a recording called 'Teens, Television, and Depression'. The text is about a study that looks at the relationship between media use and mental health in teenagers.
  
• Before you listen to the audio activity, make some notes on paper about what you think the text will mention.
  
• Y0u could also think about your own views on this topic and the kinds of media devices you use, such as i-pods and computers. Do you think they have an effect on your mental health?
• Now go to: http://www.listen-and-write.com/audio/show/459
• Play through the complete audio recording and check your notes to see how many of the things you thought of were mentioned.
  

• Make some more notes about what you remember from the audio text.
• Now you are ready to start the dictation. Click to play the first part of the recording.
• Listen and try to write in the words you hear. You can stop and start the player so that you have time to write.
  

• If you are having problems you can click to get the next letter or the next word.

• Try to finish the complete text. When you get to the end you can register on the site and record your score. If you have enjoyed this activity you could also try another dictation.

Doing one of these activities each week will soon help to improve your listening skills. I hope you enjoy this activity and come back for more EFL ESL activities tomorrow.

• More listening activities

Related links for teachers:

• Dictation goes Web 2.0
• Subtitling your video clips
• Transcribed Videos for EFL ESL
• Soundscapes from SoundTransit
• Text to Speech for EFL ESL Materials
• Multimedia Vocabulary Website
• Listening Dictation Puzzles for EFL ESL
• Text to Speech for EFL ESL Materials

Best

Nik Peachey