Using Dictation to Develop Pupils' Listening and Writing Skills

Part 3: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Is it true that pupils with good dictation results must be good at English?

No. Dictation only reflects a small part of pupils’ performance (mainly spelling) in English language learning.
To get a comprehensive picture of pupils’ progress, teachers need to engage pupils in other learning activities which provide them with opportunities to demonstrate their ability in different language skills.

2. Should dictation be used as a testing device only?

No. With well-planned teaching strategies, dictation can be turned into effective learning activities.
Effective dictation activities provide meaningful contexts for pupils to apply their phonics skills (e.g. spelling of words), practise the integrated use of language skills (e.g. listening and writing skills) and demonstrate their grammar knowledge in proofreading.

3. Is spelling the only focus of dictation?

No. Spelling is only one of the focuses of dictation.
Pupils can develop their awareness of the letter-sound relationships through phonics dictation.
Pupils can demonstrate their understanding of the listening text through picture dictation and ‘Bad Cold’ dictation.
Pupils can develop autonomy in learning through theme-based free dictation.
Pupils can practise the integrated use of listening and writing skills through various dictation activities such as music dictation, running dictation, dicto-comp / dictogloss and keywords dictation.

4. Can teachers help pupils better prepare for dictation by asking them to copy the passages several times?

No. Excessive copying kills pupils’ interest in learning English. It is harmful to the lower primary pupils whose muscular development has not reached maturity.
To help pupils better prepare for dictation, it is important to teach them the enabling skills explicitly (e.g. drawing their attention to the letter-sound relationships, guiding them to divide words into small parts and to understand the meanings of words).

5. Does frequent dictation help improve pupils’ English proficiency?

No. Dictation is only a small part of English language learning.
Simply spending much time and effort on dictation may not lead to any great improvement in language proficiency.
A balanced development of language skills and learning strategies is more important than giving dictation frequently.

1. Should pupils be asked to write down all the words on the EDB wordlists in dictation?

No. Teachers should not ask pupils to memorise and write down all the words on the EDB wordlists out of context in dictation.
The wordlists for KS1 and KS2 included in the resource package Enhancing English Vocabulary Learning and Teaching at Primary Level (2009) are for reference only.
Teachers should design meaningful tasks and activities to help pupils develop their vocabulary building skills, and provide ample opportunities for vocabulary use in context.

2. When should unseen dictation be conducted?

Effective learning strategies, such as applying the knowledge of phonics skills and making use of contextual clues as well as grammar knowledge, should be taught before unseen dictation is conducted.
More seen dictation should be given to lower primary pupils to help them build up confidence in learning English.

3. Can pupils check dictation for themselves?

Yes. Pupils should be encouraged to check their work during and after dictation since developing the habit of self editing and correcting at an early stage is helpful to language learning.
Pupils should be taught to apply their grammar knowledge and phonics skills when they check their work.

4. Is mechanical copying of the correct answers an effective way of doing corrections?

No. Mechanical copying of the correct answers may not effectively help pupils make improvement.
To facilitate assessment for learning, teachers should think about how to help pupils learn from the mistakes they have made (e.g. highlighting the letter-sound relationships, dividing words into small parts, making use of the context to figure out the correct words, having pupils read aloud the words while doing corrections to reinforce learning).