Learner Generated Peer Dictation

Purpose: This activity can take up to an hour and focuses on speaking, listening, writing, and, to a lesser extent, reading. Students also get a chance to see target vocabulary used in different ways.

Preparation time: None

Materials needed: Sentence template for each learner with a different color for each group (see link below), white board or area of whiteboard for each group, and red pens.

Procedure: Model good editing procedure (using carats for missed words, crossing out extra letters, etc) on the whiteboard prior to the activity.

1. Divide the class into two or three groups. (Ideally, there should be a teacher/tutor with each group; if this is not possible, put a stronger learner in charge of their group.)
2. Students work within their groups to generate five sentences. Each sentence must contain at least one of the weekly vocabulary words.
3. Teacher/tutor/group leader writes generated sentences on white boards so all members of the group can see and suggest changes. 
4. Once a group has completed all five sentences, teacher/tutor checks for accuracy (spelling, grammar, word use) and corrects as necessary. 
5. Sentence templates are passed out (different color for each group) and students each copy their group’s sentences onto the paper.
6. Students find a partner with a different color sheet and take turns dictating their sentences to each other.
7. Students switch papers and edit each other’s sentences with a red pen.