A dictation exercise is a method used to hone listening and reading skills for adults who are learning English. Such an exercise involves students listening to a taped recording or the teacher's voice reading a passage. As the students listen, they either transcribe the text word for word, or they fill in the blanks of a text which is displayed on an overhead transparency. After the passage is done the teacher can check for spelling mistakes or to see if the missing words were correctly filled in.
This assignment is a helpful method to gauge students' command over grammar and vocabulary. The teacher can either ask a student for directions to reach a specific place within a city the student is familiar, or supply each student with a map and ask them how to orient it. Another possibility is supplying the student with a list of directions and then asking him or her to trace them on a map.
This assignment helps to improve both reading and speaking skills. The teacher passes out copies of a current event article to each student and has the students take turns reading it. After the article is read, the teacher then asks the students questions, which focus on particular issues addressed in the text. After commenting specifically on the article's content, the teacher then gleans the students' opinions about what they've read. Before reading, the teacher may want to write some key words from the text on the board and address them during the discussion.
In this exercise, students fill out blank weekly planners with appointments and attempt to plan around them with other students in the class. A companion exercise involves arranging more formal appointments by having students create companies and schedule meetings. Combined, the exercises help students develop vocabulary and expressions for both formal and informal contexts. This exercise also encourages students to be more comfortable with ordinal numbers and expressions relating to time.