Picture Dictation

Picture dictation (An activity for innovative teachers)

Peter and Karen Viney  
Level: Starter / Elementary / Pre-Intermediate
Activity: Picture dictation, individual
Language / skill: Instructions with imperatives; prepositions of place
When to use: at any point in the course, using different pictures, as an activity after introducing the Vocabulary Practice Book, Picture Dictionary. . You would raise the language level of the instructions to match the picture dictionary.)
Procedure: Draw a sample picture on the board to show students that the most basic, silliest drawings are fine. Each student needs a pen and paper and should sit so that students can’t see each other’s drawings.
Dictate a picture, using prepositions for locations and simple words that students know. Students draw the picture. When you’ve finished, students compare pictures. This is usually funny. It’s also an instant comprehension check.
Example 1
Draw a square (or frame). Put the sun in the top-right corner. Draw a mountain in the middle. Draw a tree on the left side of the mountain. Draw a river from the mountain to the bottom-left corner. Draw a house in the bottom-right corner. Draw a bridge over the river, between the mountain and the house. Draw a road over the bridge from side to side of the picture.
Example 2
Draw a window in the middle at the top. Draw a table in front of the window. Draw a chair on the left of the table. Draw a woman on the right of the table. There’s a knife in her hand. There’s some bread on the table. There are two plates on the table. There’s a cat under the table.
Optional pair-work activity
Students can dictate new pictures in pairs.

Read More