How to Play the ESL Running Dictation Game

  • Running dictation is an exercise that has always worked well with teenagers. This game can also be simplified for low level kids. With running dictation, a teacher cuts out a short text and makes about 4 copies. The teacher pastes copies of these texts on the four ends of the classroom or even out of the classroom.  Then s/he splits the class into four teams. Each team chooses a good WRITER. The writer has a pen and a sheet of paper. The other student(s) of the team are the RUNNERS. A runner runs to the texts, reads and memorizes a line of text and runs back to the writer and dictates the line of text s/he memorized. The writer writes down when the runner dictates. If there are two or more runners, then another runner takes a turn to read and memorize the next line of text. This goes on until the text is fully copied. The teams score points in the order in which they finish. At the end each team reads out its copied text. Any mistakes at this time will lead to deduction of points.

     For Low Level Kids
    Let every word of the text be described by a number placed next to or below the word as in the example below. Also make the text bolder and larger.

    Text Box: Peter likes  playing  basketball.      1            2              3                   4  He  usually  plays basketball on Monday.   5           6              7               8                 9     10   Peter has many friends.     11       12      13          14   His friends also like playing basketball.       15        16          17     18        19                20

    The numbers will help kids easily identify which part(s) of the text they should read. This is also good for large classes where there is always a mixed ability situation.
    Each runner should memorize at least 2 or 3 words for dictation each time. That will stop smarter kids doing it all.  If the class is small, then there can’t be many runners.

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Video Lessons by Unit & Level

Level 1 Course Video Tutorials

Unit  intro – Alphabet & Phonics Resources. 

  • Aim: Teach letters of the alphabet
  • Unit   1 – Greetings - Hello

  • Aim: Teach basic greetings – Hello, Hi, Goodbye.
  • Unit   2 – What’s your name?

  • Aim: To teach kids how to say their names.
  • Unit   3 – How old are you?

  • Aim: Teach kids how to say their age and  learn numbers 1 to 5.
  • Unit   4 – Numbers – How many?

  • Aim: Teach kids how to count from 1 to 10.
  • Unit   5 A – Colours – What colour is it?

  • Aim: Teach kids how to describe things through colours.
  • Unit 5 B - Colours Vocabulary

  • Aim: Teach colours vocabulary
  • Unit 5 C - Green Monster Colours Lesson

  • Aim: Teach colours through a colours songs
  • Unit   6 – Fruits – I like apples.

  • Aim: Teach kids names of fruits and how to express likes.
  • Unit  7 – Body – I have a head.

  • Aim: Teach kids parts of the body.
  • Unit  8–  Actions  – I can, I can’t.

  • Aim: Teach kids how to express ability using simple action verbs.
  • Level 2 Course Video Tutorials

    Unit  1 – Animals – Farms Animals. 

  • Aim: Teach students how to express preference by using vocabulary related to farm animals.
  • Unit   2 – Family Members

  • Aim: Teach words and expressions used when describing family.
  • Unit  3 – School bag

  • Aim: To teach words and expressions related to classroom items.
  • Unit   4 – Actions – Can and Can’t  

  • Aim: Teach action verbs
  • Unit   5 – Shapes & Sizes

  • Aim: Teach various shapes and adjectives to describe size.
  • Unit   6 – Demonstrative Pronouns – This/That/These/Those

  • Aim: Teach  singular and plurals of nouns and demonstrative pronouns.
  • Unit   7 – Numbers – 10 to 100

  • Aim: Teach numbers 10 to 100 and pronunciation differences between long and short vowels.
  • Unit  8 – Toys – Where is it?

  • Aim: Teach  words and expressions related to toys and to ask where things are.
  • Unit  9 –  Days of the week and weekly activities

  • Aim: Teach days of the week and some things we do weekly.
  • Unit 10 -   Weather – What’s the weather like?

  • Aim: Teach students how to ask about the weather and describe it.
  • Unit 11 -   Food – What do you want to eat

  • Aim: Teach students about the things we eat and express want
  • Level 3 Course Video Tutorials

    Unit  1 – Pets : Why do you like dogs?

  • Aim: Teach  names of pets and give a brief description of pets using personality adjectives.
  • Unit   2a – Time – What time is it?

  • Aim: Teach students how to tell the time and also how to talk about daily routines.
  • Unit   2b – Time – What time is it?

  • Aim: Teach students how to tell the time using quarter to/past/ Half past etc.
  • Unit   3 – Months & birthdays – When is your birthday?

  • Aim: Teach students months of the year and how to tell dates using months and ordinal numbers.
  • Unit   4 – Jobs – What people do.

  • Aim: To teach kids how to describe jobs using action verbs.
  • Unit  5  – Actions – What are you doing?

  • Aim: Students will learn how to describe actions in progress using the present progressive.
  • Unit   6 – Transport – How do you come to school?

  • Aim: Teach students different means of transport and talk about going around.
  • Unit   7 – Clothes – What are you wearing today?

  • Aim: To learn to describe what someone is wearing.
  • Unit   8 –  Where is it? – At home

  • Aim: Teach kids prepositions of place, alongside rooms and things at home.
  • Unit  9a – Vegetables – How much are the carrots?

  • Aim: Teach kids vegetable vocabulary and how to go shopping for veggies.
  • Unit  9b – Vegetables – Extra Vegetable Vocabulary lesson - Cauliflower, broccoli etc.

  • Aim: Teach students extra vegetable vocabulary.
  • Unit  10 –  Weather  and clothes  - Put on your sunglasses.

  • Aim: Teach kids how to talk about clothes relative to the weather.
  • Unit 11 -  Zoo – What does a panda look like?

  • Aim: To teach students how to describe zoo animals by what they eat and look like.
  • Recommended Extra Resources

    ESLTOWER.COM : Many Free English Grammar & Vocabulary Exercises for Teachers and Students

    Want More Materials? Check Out ESL Galaxy for All ESL Lesson Plan needs

     

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