Language Education and Technology NII-Electronic Library Service LanguageEducation andTechnology --Does Dictation Dictation and Listening Comprehension Promote Listening Comprehension?-- Yasuhiko Sugawara Kokushikan University Dictation is widely used as a teaching technique in listening comprehension classes as well as a testing device in many experiments. Although the positive effect of this technique has been reported, specific explanation about its effbct is yet seen: How should itbe used?;For what Ievel is it effective? In order to have a clearer idea about the effbct of thislongused teaching technique, the author of this article carried out an experiment using Japanese university students: The subjects were divided into twe groups; dictation and control groups. They listened to two types of texts;elementary and intermediate levels. Each text was played three times; without any pause for the first and the third playings, and with 10 second pause after each sentence for the second. After the third playing, tiney were asked to write down what they thought they had understood from the text in their first language. The results were that the control group perfermed signi[Eicantly better than the dictation group for the elementary text (t = 2.67, p < O.O1), but forthe intermediate text,no sigriificant differences were fbund between the groups (t = O.72, n.s.). Regarding the relation between the dictation and recall test scores, a statistically significant correlation was found only for the dilficult text (r = O.7433, p < O.O1), but not forthe easy text in the dictation group although all the test scores correlated with each other in the control group. This article wil1 diseuss why such results were obtained and will reconsider whether dictation isa proper teaching technique to promote learner's listening comprehension. -33-
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Language Education and Technology
NII-Electronic Library Service
LanguageEducation andTechnology
--Does
Dictation
Dictation
and Listening Comprehension
Promote Listening Comprehension?--
Yasuhiko Sugawara
Kokushikan University
Dictation is widely used as a teaching technique in listening
comprehension classes as well as a testing device in many
experiments. Although the positive effect of this technique has been
reported, specific explanation about its effbct is yet seen: How should
it be used?;For what Ievel is it effective? In order to have a clearer
idea about the effbct of this long used teaching technique, the author of
this article carried out an experiment using Japanese university
students: The subjects were divided into twe groups; dictation and
control groups. They listened to two types of texts; elementary and
intermediate levels. Each text was played three times; without any
pause for the first and the third playings, and with 10 second pause
after each sentence for the second. After the third playing, tiney were
asked to write down what they thought they had understood from the
text in their first language. The results were that the control group
perfermed signi[Eicantly better than the dictation group for the
elementary text (t = 2.67, p < O.O1), but for the intermediate text, no
sigriificant differences were fbund between the groups (t = O.72, n.s.).
Regarding the relation between the dictation and recall test scores, a
statistically significant correlation was found only for the dilficult text
(r = O.7433, p < O.O1), but not for the easy text in the dictation group
although all the test scores correlated with each other in the control
group.
This article wil1 diseuss why such results were obtained and will
reconsider whether dictation is a proper teaching technique to promote
learner's listening comprehension.
-33-
Language Education and Technology
NII-Electronic Library Service
LanguageEducation andTechnology
1 INTRODUCTION
Dictation has been widely used as a teaching technique in the Ianguage
teaching classroom. More than half oflanguage teachers use dictation either
regularly or occasionally in Europe (Davis and Rinvolucri 1988:1). Also,
textbooks for listening comprehension available on the market often contain
dictation exereises.
The effects of this teaching technique are supported by several studies:
Postovsky (1972) claimed that his subjects developed language proficiency
by using dictation before engaging in speaking exercises; Suenebu et al
(1986) reported that even when the listeners seemed to have reached a
plateau at whieh point they could not process any more meaningful
information, they could catch more words by the use of dictation; Yanagihara
(1995) also reported in her research which focused on shadowing that the
dictation group performed significantly better than the control group in
listening comprehension tests.
Several studies (Valette 1967, ORer 1971, Oller et al 1974) reported that
dictation scores correlated with overall language achievement.
Consequently, dictation has been used as a testing device not only for error
analysis CKakei et al 1979, Suenobu et al 1982, Kelly 1991) but also for
Kakei, S., Suenobu, M., Nomat S.t Kanzaki, K. & Yamane, S.
{1979)."An Analysis of Perceptual Error" JACET Bulietin.
No 10: 1-19
Kellyr P. (1991). "Lexical
Ignorance: The main obstacle to
Listening Comprehension with Advanced Foreign Language
Learners" IRAL Vol 24, No 2: 13S-149
Kelch, K. (198S). "Medified
Input as an Aid to
Comprehension" Studies in Second Language Acquisition.
Vol 7: Bl-90
Oller, J,W. (1971). "Dictation
as a Device for Teaching
Foreign Language Proficiency" ELT Journal. Vol 25, No
3: 254-259
Oller, J.W., Irvine, P. & Atai, P. (1974). "Cloze,
Language Learning. Vol 24. No 2: 151-158
Postovsky, L. {1974), "Effects of Delay in Oral Practice at
the Beginning of Second Language Learning" Modern
Language Journal. Vol
'58: 229-239
Rivers, W.M. & Temperley. M.S. {1979). "A Practical Guide to
the Teaching of English" New York: Oxford University
Press
Savignon, S.J. (1982}. "Dictation as a Measure of
Comrnunicative Competence in French as a Second Language"
Language Learning. Vol 32. No 1: 33-51
Suenobu, M., Youngt R., Kanzakif K, & Yamane, S. {1982).
"An Analysis of Perceptual Error - Effeet of Learning and
Mechanism of Hearing" JACET Bulletin, Vol 13: 83-97
Suenobu, M., Kanzaki, K., Yamane, S. & Youngt R. {1986).
"Listening Comprehension and the Process of information
Aequisitien by Non-・native Speakers of English" IRAL.
Vol 24, No. 3: 239-248
Valette, R.M. {1967). "Modern
language Testing: A Handbook"
New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc.
Yanagihara, Y. (1995). "A
Study of Teaching Metheds for
Developing English Listening Comprehension" Language
Laboratory. No 32: 73-B9
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Language Education and Technology
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!t!Rl!.e!!.!ta!m!d 1 cl Ttp*The eliminated words for the tests are shown in the
parentheses.
TL!h!g-ggEy-!!g2C!,eeastet
Many years ago, Wonder Air was ( A ) small,
very new company. It had { A ) little money and
its aeroplanes were ( VERY ) old. Mr. Black flew byWonder( AIR }once. That day, he went to( THE )airport, got on the Wonder Air ( AEROPLANE } and waited.
After a few minutes there was { A } lot of
noise, and then the ( CAPTAIN } came out and
shouted,'I'm not
{ GOING ) to take th ±s aeroplane upl One ( OF }the engines is broken, and ( THEY } aren't going to geta new(
ONE ).' The passengers got out, and then, ( AN } hour
later, an airhostess said,'The ( PLANE'S ) ready again
now,' The passengers walked ( PAST ) her to the
aeroplane again.
'Did
( YOU ) get a new engine?' Mr, Black
{ ASKED ) the air--hostess.
'No,
we got a{ NEW } captain,'she answered,
The difficult text
Two rich ladies were sharing a{ TAXI ) and talking
about the high cost ( OF ) going anywhere by taxi.
One of the ladies said,'Taxis { ARE ) terribly
expensive these days. The owners get { A ) lot of
money for nothing.'
'Yes,'
said the other lady,'and ( THE )drivers get such big tips that ( THEY ) soon become
rich. They ought to C BE } ashamed of themselves.'
One oi the ladies was smoking( A }cigarette. After a minute or two ( SHE } said te
the other lady,'Can
( YOU ) see an ashtray in thi$ taxi?
( THERE ) isn't one on my side.'
iNo,'
said the other,'there isn't ( ONE } on
this side either. Driver! Where ( IS ) the
ashtray in this taxi? Why ( DON'T ) you got one?'
The driver, who had heard everything ( THE }ladies had said, answered,'Oh, just { DROP ) the
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Language Education and Technology
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LanguageEducation andTechnology
ashes on the
in and
( CLEANS
lt!Rl![g!!gi2LZtendx2
Tltghg-ggEjE-!g!!stet
carpet--I( HAVE )a
} three days in the weekt'
15 rdea Units for Each
servant who comes
Text
The
1. Wonder Air was small and new,
2. It had a little money.
3. The p!anes were old.
4. Mr. Black flew by Wonder Air.
5. He got on the planelwaited, 6. There was lots of noise.
7. The captain came out.
8. He shouted he was not go±nt to take the plane up.
9. one of the engine was borken.
10. They aren't goint to get a new one.
11. The passengers got out.
12, The airplane is ready an hour later,
13. The passengers got in the plane,
14. Black asked an airhostess if you had got a new
. englne,
15. We got a new captain.
diificult text
1. Two rich ladies were in a taxi.
2, They were talking about the expensive taxi fare.
3, The taxi owner get$ lots of money ior nothing.
4, The drivers get tips.
5. The drivers will become rich.
6. They ought to be ashamed oi themselves.
7. 0ne of the ladies was smoking.
8. She asked the other if there was an ashtray.
9, There is no ashtray on her side.
10. There is not any on the other side either.
11. She asked the driver where an ashtray was,
12. The driver heard what they had said.
13. The driver said to drop the ashes on the carpet.