Interacting+4


 * Marisa**

Picture dictation Any level In pairs, one student describes a picture and the other student draws it, asking questions when needed. The pair cannot look at each others pictures until the end. - Memorizing details to gain confidence - There is, there are, its' + colours, it's in - To encourage children to co-operate with each other. __Linguistic Competence__ - Uses grammar accurately with variety? - Adequate vocabulary? - "Clear"pronunciation? __Functional Competence__ - Answer the question completely and logically? __Strategic Competence__ - Can use repair strategies when conversation breaks down?
 * Activity:**
 * Level:**
 * Short description:**
 * Objectives:**
 * -** Asking and answering questions
 * Assessment:**

=Add your comments:= This is Lluís.
 * Link**

Hi Marisa! I like very much that you take into account strategic competence. Communication repair, such as signalling non-understanding, asking for repetition of sentence, asking for a repetition of a word or phrase, and so on, is of foremost importance when speaking a language, especially a foreign language, because there will always be a very broad margin of unpredictability. The learner has to be prepared to cope with unpredicted demands as well as with failures to recall. Within the communicative competence, in my opinion, compensation strategies must be stressed throughout the English course and must be an integral part to a lesson, i.e., at the beginning of a speaking activity sts can be reminded of examples of sentences useful for communication repair: Sorry, I don’t understand. What did you say please? Sorry, could you say that again please? Could you repeat that please? (sorry +) wh question: Sorry, where does she live? (sorry +) wh did you say + interrogative clause: Sorry, what did you say his name was? Did you say X? ‘Did you say anchovies?’

Núria

Hi Marisa!

You are going beyond linguistic competence, and are not the only one in the group who is doing that. This is turning into a very interesting debate. I think the distinction you have made between linguistic, functional and strategic competence is relevant and broadens our perspective,

The way I see it if your objectives are not specific, it might be difficult to measure if you are attaining them or not. If I consider linguistic competence, I have read several times that students cannot focus on accuracy, fluency and complexity at the same time. Whether this is true or not, the solution I have found, personally, is advancing in cycles of accuracy --> fluency ---> complexity.


 * Sònia**

Hi Marisa! I'm definitely into activities which boost any kind of spontaneous speaking and picture dictation is undoubtedly one of these. I prefer doing this activity with my younger students because they like drawing and painting a lot. But this is just a personal view.