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Faulty transcript tasks

 'Faulty transcript' ('Correct the transcript') is the activity where students have a text in front of them while listening to the same text read aloud, but with a number of differences to find. I recall this format being used back in the day for some A-level exams. The value in the task lies in the following, as I see it:

  • Close listening is required (which encourages deep processing of language and careful discrimination of sounds).
  • Students develop their network of links between words - being aware of synonyms, paraphrases.
  • Accurate spelling is required.
  • Students are engaging with comprehensible input - language they understand, the very basis of language acquisition.
  • Useful and relevant language for exam purposes can be modelled.

Once a text has been used for the faulty transcript task, the same text could be used for further work, e.g. note-taking in English or dictogloss (where students listen, take notes in the target language, then produce their own summary - a kind of loose dictation, you might say). The text is also available for other exploitation: oral questions, true/false, 'correct the false statement', oral questions with written answers, and so on. For a written task, students can use the source text to create their own personlised one.

Here is a task I uploaded to frenchteacher.net. The level is CEFR A2 or Higher Tier GCSE. I actually used ChatGPT to create the original text, which I lightly tweaked, then created the adjustments needed for the task. By the way, you can give the instruction to ChatGPT "Create a French text of ... words at CEFR Level A2 on the topic of...". The result reads like a written text, not a spoken one, so the authenticity level is not high. But the language is relevant and useful.

The student text is shown first, followed by the teacher's script to read aloud. This version has the differences underlined and can be displayed to students when they correct the exercise.

Listen to the text. Underline exactly where you hear differences between the written text and what you hear. Then mark in beneath what you hear.

Ma santé est très importante pour moi. Pour rester en bonne santé, je fais attention à ce que je mange et à la quantité d'exercice que je fais chaque jour.

Je mange beaucoup de fruits et légumes pour obtenir les vitamines et les minéraux dont mon corps a besoin. Je limite également les aliments gras et sucrés car ils peuvent causer des problèmes de santé tels que l'obésité et le diabète.

En ce qui concerne l'exercice, j'essaie de faire au moins trente minutes d'activité physique chaque jour. Cela peut être de la marche rapide, de la course à pied, de la natation ou même de la danse.

Je vais également chez le médecin régulièrement pour des bilans de santé et des examens de dépistage. Cela permet de détecter tout problème de santé avant qu'il ne devienne plus grave.

Enfin, je fais attention à ma santé mentale en me relaxant et en faisant des activités que j'aime, comme la lecture et le dessin.

En bref, prendre soin de sa santé est essentiel pour se sentir bien et profiter de la vie.


Teacher’s version to read aloud and display.

 Ma santé est très importante pour moi. Pour rester en forme, je fais attention à mon régime et à la quantité d'exercice que je fais tous les jours.

Je mange beaucoup de fruits et légumes pour consommer les vitamines et les minéraux dont j’ai besoin. Je limite également les aliments gras et sucrés car ils peuvent provoquer des problèmes de santé comme l'obésité et le diabète.

En ce qui concerne l'exercice, j'essaie de faire au moins vingt minutes d'activité physique par jour. Cela peut être de la marche rapide, du jogging, de la natation ou même de la danse.

Je vais aussi chez le médecin de temps en temps pour des bilans de santé et des tests de dépistage. Cela permet de découvrir tout problème de santé avant qu'il ne devienne plus grave.

Enfin, je fais attention à ma santé psychologique en me relaxant et en faisant des activités que j'aime, comme la musique et le dessin.

En bref, prendre soin de sa santé est très important pour se sentir bien et profiter de la vie.


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