Task Listening Activity: Picture Dictation

Aim: Listen for a purpose – listen for important pieces of information rather than attempt to understand each and every single word. Practice comprehension of adjectives and prepositions.

Description: Most students love to draw, so this is a very enjoyable activity for them. Furthermore, this activity is a great way for them to review their vocabulary; particularly the use of adjectives, prepositions, and location words such as on, above, below, beside, in the middle.

Procedure: Provide each student with a blank sheet of unlined paper and instruct the class to listen carefully. Read out a short description of a visual scene (2 different examples to follow, or you can make your own utilizing vocabulary from the your most recent lessons). The students may make notes as you read. Then instruct them to draw a picture depicting the scene you’ve just described. When they are finished, have some students explain what they have drawn to the class.

Example 1:

In the middle of the picture is a big chair. Standing on the chair is a very thin woman with long legs. She is the mother, and is wearing glasses and an apron. She is scared because there is a big snake under the chair. The snake is smiling because he is going to eat the spider in front of him.

Example 2:

There’s a table in the middle of the picture and a cat is under the table. He’s a white cat. Near the table is a chair. There’s a very fat boy sitting on it. He’s very fat, indeed, and very happy because there’s a big cake on the table and he’s going to eat it in a minute. The cat is happy too; he’s going to eat the mouse which is under the fat boy’s chair.

Note: The descriptions for this activity (Examples 1 and 2) were originally written for the 1995 and 1989 (respectively) editions of Communicative English: A Practical Guide.