Merry Christmas, and Goodbye '16 with the Promo Code

It's been an amazing inaugural year for the pedagogically exciting Dictation Triptychs with the publication of multiple ebooks, conducting of training sessions and TESL conference presentations, and launch of our online store.
But before that final Auld Lang Syne, be sure to lock in your boot camp dates for 2017 and sock away a few more ebooks at a 16% discount!
Just remember to apply the Promo Code.
Ho Ho Ho!

Join Us on Thursday, Nov. 24, 3:45 p.m., at TESL Ontario Conference 2016 at Sheraton Centre, Toronto

Be sure to check out our conference snapshots and tag a friend in our FB album!

Check out the bios and details in the Conference Brochure! 

Discover the PBLA potential and pragmatic potential of Dictation Triptychs as expert teachers Suma and Hala demonstrate their magic in multilevel and Workplace English classrooms.

And be prepared for some surprising goodies specific to our Conference attendees!

Dictation Triptychs CLB 5-8 TOC - New!

INTRODUCTION 4

CLB5L Follow directions to locate an office, school or tourist attraction on a map. (II. Comprehending Instructions: Understand simple to moderately complex directions and instructions for generally familiar and relevant procedures. [Instructions are about 7 to 8 steps, with up to 10 details (fewer on the phone).] Follows a range of basic cohesive devices indicating order and sequence. Seeks clarification and confirmation if required. Responds with actions to directions and instructions.) 9

CLB5L Listen to a short explanation from a bank teller about different accounts to determine the advantages and disadvantages of each. (IV. Comprehending Information: Understand descriptive or narrative monologues or presentations related to everyday, personally relevant topics or situations. [Presentations are informal, with the use of visuals and up to about 5 minutes in length.] Gets the gist. Identifies key words and phrases. Identifies factual details and some implied meanings. Identifies opinions. Interprets descriptions, reports and explanations.) 14

CLB5S Answer the phone at work. Provide information to the caller (such as company name, hours of operation, basic information about a product or service). (I. Interacting with Others: Participate in very short phone calls. [Communicating on the phone may be difficult.] Answers the phone, greets a caller, and closes a conversation using appropriate conventions and expressions. Provides simple personal information.) 19

CLB6L Listen and respond to a friend’s reason for cancelling a dinner date. (I. Interacting with Others: Understand common social exchanges (such as openings and closings, making and cancelling of appointments, apologies, regrets, excuses, and problems in reception and communication). Identifies specific factual details and implied meanings. Identifies formal and casual style and register. Identifies language functions. Identifies some feelings such as regret and compassion. Identifies expressions of openings, pre-closings, closings and leave-takings. Identifies situation and relationship between speakers. Identifies mood, attitude and emotional states from tone and intonation.) 24

CLB6L Take simple routine food orders on the phone or at a drive-through. (III. Getting Things Done: Understand moderately complex communication intended to influence or persuade (such as suggestions, advice, encouragements and requests) in everyday, personally relevant situations. Identifies main intent, main ideas, factual details, words and expressions. Identifies implied meanings. Identifies the functions of utterances (such as suggestions, encouragement and requests). Interprets facts, advice, suggestions and opinions. Identifies cohesive devices and discourse indicators for comparison, contrast, condition and result.) 29

CLB6S Call to make an appointment with a professor or dentist. (I. Interacting with Others: Participate in short phone calls. [Communicating with strangers on the phone may be challenging.] Answers the phone, greets the caller, and closes a conversation using appropriate conventions and expressions. Provides information or leaves a message with 3 to 5 details. Clarifies and confirms information.) 34

CLB7L Listen and respond to a complaint from a friend, colleague or classmate and determine the nature of the complaint and the speaker’s mood and attitude. (I. Interacting with Others: Understand moderately complex social exchanges (such as expressions of and responses to gratitude, hopes, appreciation, complaints, disappointment, satisfaction, dissatisfaction, approval and disapproval). Identifies implied meanings and stated and unspecified details. Identifies language functions. Identifies formal and casual style and register. Understands the intent of the expressions and the responses. Identifies emotional state, mood and attitude from tone and intonation. Interprets feelings such as gratitude, hope and appreciation. Identifies situation and relationship between speakers.) 39

CLB7L Listen to orders from law enforcement officials (such as a police officer, judge, parking enforcement officer, customs official). (III. Getting Things Done: Understand moderately complex communication intended to influence or persuade (such as requests, reminders, orders and pleas) in situations related to personal or general experiences. Identifies the purpose, main ideas, factual details. Identifies implied meanings. Identifies the functions of utterances (such as requests and reminders). Follows discourse indicators signalling cause and effect, condition and result. Interprets requests, reminders, orders and pleas. Predicts consequences and outcomes.) 44

CLB8L Follow instructions from a technical assistant on the phone to resolve a simple computer software issue. (II. Comprehending Instructions: Understand extended multistep directions or instructions for technical or non-technical tasks. [Instructions are over 12 steps, with up to 20 details (fewer on the phone).] Follows sequence markers, cohesive devices (connecting words, reference, parallel structure, substitution) or other linguistic clues to infer order of steps. Responds with actions to directions and instructions.) 49

CLB8L Listen and identify facts and opinions in a conversation between several people about a controversial social issue (such as gambling, censorship, budget priorities) to determine own position on the issue. (IV. Comprehending Information: Understand group interactions about abstract and complex ideas on familiar topics.) 54

APPENDIX A: LISTENING ASSESSMENT 59

APPENDIX B: SPEAKING ASSESSMENT 60

APPENDIX C: READING ASSESSMENT 61

APPENDIX D: WRITING ASSESSMENT 62

INDEX 63

E-Book Inaugural at TESL Hamilton

Thank you, all ye Aronsoneans, Vygotskyers, and Dornyeiites, for the blessed session at the Courtyard in Hamilton this afternoon! So fun and blessed it was that we didn't really have the time to go into book sales, but you're welcome to do so here online.

I appreciated not only the encouraging feedback but specific tips as well, like making scrambled sentence strips. If you have other ideas, do share--there's a Comment link below.


If you'd like to order an e-book or two, please check out the price list above.

And do use the discount code as long as it's still there!

Dictation Triptychs CLB 4-8 TOC

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION.. 3

Native Peoples: Cree, Algonquin, Iroquois CLB 7 S Give feedback to a fellow student on a class assignment. 8

Job Interview: Candidate, Applicant, Seeker CLB 6 S: Answer questions about educational background, work experience and skills in a panel interview. 13

Friends: Cocktail, Gala, Potluck CLB 6 L: Listen and respond to a friend’s reason for cancelling a dinner date. 18

Doctor’s Visit: Walk-in Clinic, Family Doctor, Specialist CLB 7 S: Discuss a medical condition with a doctor or other medical practitioner, providing details about symptoms, frequency of occurrence and severity. 23

Famous Canadians: Strachan, Simcoe, Ryerson CLB 5 R: Take notes from an advertising flyer on products, features, prices and retail locations to inform shopping decisions. 28

Recreation Facilities & Community Centres: Zoo, Park, Ski Resort CLB 4 R: Write an email to a friend with a short update on what happened last week. 33

Family Roles: Moms, Dads, Kids CLB 4 L: Listen to a discussion about household tasks to determine who will do what. 38

Adult Education: CC, School Board, Online CLB 5 S: Make a suggestion for a class to begin or end at a different time. Give reasons to support the suggestion. 43

Customer Service: Associate, Representative, Consultant CLB 8 S: Give instructions to a co-worker on how to process sales, handle merchandise returns, or operate a cash register. 48

Schooling: Elementary, Middle, High CLB 7 S: Provide advice on how to improve the grade. 53

APPENDIX A: LISTENING ASSESSMENT. 58

APPENDIX B: SPEAKING ASSESSMENT. 59

APPENDIX C: READING ASSESSMENT. 60

APPENDIX D: WRITING ASSESSMENT. 61

INDEX. 62

Dictation Triptychs CLB 1-4 TOC

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION.. 3

Taking a Bus: Northwest, Southeast, Downtown CLB 1 L: Follow a simple instruction about which bus to take (accompanied by gestures indicating where to go). 8

Instructions: Roommate, Classmate, Workmate CLB 1 S: Give a short instruction to a friend, co-worker, or classmate. (Pass the salt. Close the door. Please come in. Wait! Stop! Please repeat.). 13

Neighbour’s Greeting: Upstairs, Downstairs, Next Door CLB 1 L: Listen and respond to a greeting from a neighbour, co-worker or classmate. (Hello. How are you?). 18

Overtime: Office, Warehouse, Cashiers CLB 2 L: Listen and respond to a supervisor’s request to work overtime. 23

Initiating: Volkswagen, Dodge, Hyundai CLB 2 S: Initiate a very short conversation with a classmate or neighbour. Indicate non-understanding if necessary. (I don’t understand. My English is not good. Speak slowly, please.). 28

Café: Tim Hortons, McDonalds, Timothy’s CLB 2 S: Make a simple food order in a restaurant or cafeteria at work. (Coffee with milk and sugar, please.). 33

Store: Men’s, Women’s, Children’s CLB 3 L: Follow simple instructions from a salesperson in order to locate items in various sections of a store. (The men’s section is upstairs, to the left.). 38

Permission: Manager, Supervisor, Director CLB 3 S: Ask an employer or teacher for permission to do something. (May I leave early today? Can I write the test tomorrow?). 43

Clinic: Walk-in, Family Doctor, Nurse Practitioner CLB 3 S: At a doctor’s office, greet the receptionist and exchange a few simple pleasantries. (Hello. How are you? Nice to see you. It’s a warm day.) State the reason for the visit and provide personal information, such as a health card number. 48

Rec Work: REC CENTRE/POOL/CAMPGROUND CLB 4 L: Follow directions to locate items in a room, on a map or in a diagram. (Can you get me the book? It’s in the middle cabinet, on the top shelf, on the right-hand side.) CLB 4 S: Give directions to a co-worker or classmate on how to get to the lunchroom.

Story: Adecco, Bagg, Hays CLB 4 S: Tell a short story about a common activity (such as finding a job or an apartment). 58

Neighbour’s Small Talk: Upstairs, Downstairs, Next Door CLB 4 S: Greet a neighbour, ask about his/her health, and talk about the weather. Extend the conversation by asking questions. 63

APPENDIX A: LISTENING ASSESSMENT. 68

APPENDIX B: SPEAKING ASSESSMENT. 69

APPENDIX C: READING ASSESSMENT. 70

APPENDIX D: WRITING ASSESSMENT. 71

INDEX 72

Dictation Triptychs Corporate TOC

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION.. 3

Openers: Bling, Buzz, Bravos. 8

Are We Here Yet?: Hole, Hood, Hangout. 12

Tech Talk: Devices, Networks, Media. 16

Catalyst Chatter: Surprised, Impressed, Curious. 20

Faux Pas Fixes: Saints, Sinners, Senators. 24

Escape: Businesspeople, Spies, Priests. 28

Negotiations: Buyers, Sellers, Lawyers. 32

Pullbacks: Innovators, Inventors, Creators. 36

Job Interviews: Seekers, Applicants, Candidates. 40

Moving on Up: Assistants, Associates, Seniors. 44

APPENDIX A: LISTENING ASSESSMENT. 48

APPENDIX B: SPEAKING ASSESSMENT. 49

APPENDIX C: READING ASSESSMENT. 50

APPENDIX D: WRITING ASSESSMENT. 51

INDEX. 52

Dictation Triptychs Medical Professions TOC

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION.. 4

Anatomy: MD, Doctor, Physician. 9

Anatomy: MD.. 10

Anatomy: Doctor. 11

Anatomy: Physician. 12

Drug Allergies: Antihistamine, Epinephrine, Steroid. 13

Drug Allergies: Antihistamine. 14

Drug Allergies: Epinephrine. 15

Drug Allergies: Steroid. 16

Family Medical History: Genetic, Hereditary, Ancestral 17

Family Medical History: Genetic. 18

Family Medical History: Hereditary. 19

Family Medical History: Ancestral 20

Fever: Tylenol, Advil, Aspirin. 21

Fever: Tylenol 22

Fever: Advil 23

Fever: Aspirin. 24

Nutrition: Proteins, Fibre, Carbs. 25

Nutrition: Proteins. 26

Nutrition: Fibre. 27

Nutrition: Carbs. 28

Medical Laboratory: Blood, Urine, Saliva. 29

Medical Laboratory: Blood. 30

Medical Laboratory: Urine. 31

Medical Laboratory: Saliva. 32

Diagnostic Imaging: MRI, Ultrasound, X-ray. 33

Diagnostic Imaging: MRI 34

Diagnostic Imaging: Ultrasound. 35

Diagnostic Imaging: X-ray. 36

Rehab: Health Card, Comfy Clothes, Pocket Money. 37

Rehab: Health Card. 38

Rehab: Comfy Clothes. 39

Rehab: Pocket Money. 40

Dental Extraction: Dentist, Periodontist, Endodontist. 41

Dental Extraction: Dentist. 42

Dental Extraction: Periodontist. 43

Dental Extraction: Endodontist. 44

Dental Hygiene: Cleaning, Scaling, Prophylaxis. 45

Dental Hygiene: Cleaning. 46

Dental Hygiene: Scaling. 47

Dental Hygiene: Prophylaxis. 48

INDEX. 49

Dictation Triptychs Help Ontarian Students Kill Four Birds with a Stone

Custom Dictation Triptych, for the Kurelek Room at the AGO

There's often a gap between the speaking and listening skills and the reading and writing skills in a student. Some students can really read and write at an advanced level, but when it comes to speaking, they're incomprehensible. Nor can they understand English utterances other than those made by their L1 counterparts.

Dictation Triptychs raises the stakes for those with grossly asymmetrical skills by engaging them with their peers in jigsawed activities that work holistically on the language.

So, you can work on the four skills piecemeal, or you can whip out Dictation Triptychs and nail them all at once!