Sentence Sleuth (Listening and Grammar)

 

 


Sentence Sleuth

Part 1: The Game

Level

A2 (Advanced Beginner) and higher, content may be adjusted for a suitable level.

Listening Outcomes

  • Recognizing Literal Meaning in Fast Speech
  • Understanding Vocabulary
  • Drawing Conclusions

Materials

paper, pencils, board and markers/chalk  
script (for the teacher, may be recorded, see Example in Part 3)

Object of the game

To reproduce an exact copy of the teachers script and identify the grammar point.

Rules

  1. Create a script of no more than 50 words that has three examples of the grammar point to be highlighted. 
  2. Dictator reads or plays the sentences at normal speed. The sleuths simply listen.
  3. Sleuths write what they remember. 
  4. Dictator reads or plays the sentences a second time at normal speed in the same way. The sleuths may take notes and revise as the script is being spoken.
  5. Sleuths consult with other sleuths to check their sentences.
  6. Dictator reads or plays the sentences a third time at normal speed in the same way. Players may revise their sentences.
  7. Sleuths take turns writing one or two words from the sentences on the board. 
  8. Sleuths check their work, suggesting and discussing corrections.
  9. Dictator reads or plays the sentences again, making corrections where needed.
  10. Sleuths analyze the text and suggest the grammar point highlighted in the sentences.

Scorekeeping

Sleuths receive one point for every word written correctly in the right order and ten points for identifying the grammar point.

Dictator gets one point for every grammar and spelling error. 

Part 2: Reflection

This game is the result of gamifying a grammar activity, Dictogloss. Last year, I chose a very challenging grammatical rules (subjunctive mood) and only the most advanced groups were able to discover the rule and fewer still realized that the verb in the clause after suggest or recommend is in the base form. For this reason, I chose a simpler grammatical rule. Last year, I created my own paragraph and recorded myself reading it (as was directed by the designers of Dictogloss), but ended up having to do a live reading because the speakers in the classroom were not working. This year, I thought of a commercial that used the grammar rule that I wanted to focus on, and it was simply a matter of finding it on YouTube. 

This morning, I played the game with two groups of secondary school students between the ages of 14 and 16. Both groups have at least an intermediate level of English proficiency; some students in the groups have are even advanced. I discovered that this particular test, the Dr. Pepper commercial, was well suited for recognizing contracted words and fast speech.  All but two of the students did not hear the n't in "Wouldn't you like to be a Pepper, too?" Thus, I had the opportunity to give the students an impromptu lesson on the different prosody of negative and positive questions.

I played the recording for the students more than three times. Only a handful of students recognized more than a sentence from the text even after listening three times.  They were more than eager to consult with their classmates. For the last step, the students took turns writing one word from the recording on the board. I gave them a couple of minutes to make any corrections.  They needed clues to know what do look for such as, "Which word as four different forms?"   

This text also has a phrase that does not operate according to regular English grammar, "We're a Pepper." In the 10th grade class, subconsciously, the students recognized this and some transcribed it as "We are all a Pepper." In the 9th grade class, the students transcribed it as spoken and one suggested that it should be "We are Peppers." 

The activity took less than thirty minutes, so there was ample time to interview the students about what they thought of the game.  One third of the 10th graders said that they liked playing Jeopardy. A few of the tenth graders said that they liked having a break from focusing on difficult vocabulary.  None of them would like to play it again.  The 9th graders had a more positive response. They said that they liked the music, the challenge of writing what they heard, and the opportunity to work with their classmates.  They said that they would like to play it again.

When I play it again, I will use something musical again for the recording because lyrics seem to be easier to transcribe than a spoken text, even when both are delivered at a natural pace. Music also makes the activity more motivating to the students. My attempt at gamifying 'Dictogloss' is not entirely successful yet, but using music does seem to engage the students more.

Part 3 Example Script

Grammar rule (Intermediate): Subject verb agreement and/or contractions with the verb to be

The script is the chorus to a Dr. Pepper commercial from 1980.

I'm a Pepper. He's a Pepper. We're a Pepper. * Wouldn't you like to be a Pepper, too?

*In the recording, one of the actors asks, "What's a Pepper?" but as this is not sung, none of the students included it in their transcription. 


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