Using Dictation to Promote the Use of Grammar Knowledge in Reconstructing Listening Texts

Abstract

This paper reports the findings of the implementation of full dictation and partial dictation in improving the awareness of using grammar knowledge in reconstructing listening texts among the EFL students at STBA (School of Foreign Languages) LIA Yogyakarta. Three groups participated in the study, i.e. two experimental groups (Group A and B) and a control group (Group C). A pre-test on listening to lectures was administered to the three groups. Over 9 sessions, Group C did the listening exercises in their textbook using dicto-comp technique, while in addition to the listening exercises which applied dicto-comp, the students in Group A was given full dictation exercises and Group B received partial dictation exercises. A post-test was given to the three groups after the ninth session. In addition to the post-test, a 5-point Likert-scale questionnaire assessing the students' responses to the dictation exercises was given to the experimental groups. Results of paired-samples tests indicated that there was a significant difference between each group's pre-and post-test. The mean gain score of Group B was higher than Group A showing that Group B had better improvement in the post-test. Furthermore, Group B had better grammar points in their posttest compared to Group A. Group C also increased their scores but they still got their teacher's assistance to point out their grammatical mistakes in their notes. This suggests that the dictations given to the experimental groups improved the students' awareness in applying their grammar knowledge to reproduce a listening text they heard

Evaluation of Syrian Students’ Dictation Texts (A2 Level)

“…Likewise, Takeuchi (1997) found in his study that dictation is an efficient activity for foreign language teaching. It was suggested in the study carried out by Herusatoto (2017) that implementing dictation activities raised students' awareness about reproducing the texts they listened. Despite the fact that dictation seems very simple to be effective, it can be beneficial for improving students' skills of writing, listening and vocabulary (Gladwin-Chocolaad, 1986).…”

“…In today's world, it is necessary for every individual to learn a language other than their native language. Especially in European Life Long Learning Competencies, European Commission and OECD reports, the competency of each individual learning at least one foreign language was more emphasized (Donger, Ozkartal, Sarigoz, 2016& 2017. Therefore learning a foreign language was accepted as one of the seven key competencies of life long learning, it was supported for every individual to learn at least one foreing language at reading, writing, listening and speaking aspects, and learning foreign language was divided to levels (Sarigoz, 2016).…”