The Strategy of Using Dictogloss Methods to Improve Listening

Capabilities for Japanese Beginner Learners

Lady Diana Yusri

, Idrus

, and Imelda Indah Lestari

Japanese Department, Faculty of Humanities, Universitas Andalas, Padang, Indonesia

Keywords: Dictogloss Method, Listening, Japanese.

Abstract: This article describes the strategy of using dictogloss methods for Japanese beginner learners. The subject of

this research is 40 students who have studied Japanese for one semester. The application of the dictogloss

method was made in four stages. The first stage was preparation. The lecturer prepared learning materials

with images and some questions related to the topic and also provided vocabulary questions related to the text

that would be heard. The second stage was the implementation of the dictogloss method. The lecturer will

played a CD related to the text being studied on medium speed and normal speed. Students noted down the

sentence that they heard. The third stage was the reconstruction. The process of reconstruction was done with

students discussing in small groups perceptions of what they had heard. The last stage was correction and

analysis. This stage was accomplished by the lecturer, by providing questions related to the text and providing

direction on the text that had been dictated. The student then fixed errors the text. Students had difficulties

such as listening to short words and writing sentences. The benefits perceived by students are an increase in

the ability to listen to vocabulary and sentence. Also, students could work in groups. So it can be concluded

that this method can be used for beginner learners.

1 INTRODUCTION

Language is one of the essential things in our life

because we used it as a communication tool in

everyday life. Language is used by someone verbally

and in writing to convey thoughts, feelings or

information to others. It is a means of communication

between community members in the form of sound

symbols produced by human utterances.

Good communication requires good language

skills, such as listening, speaking, reading, and

writing skills. The higher a person's language skills,

the easier it is to express opinions, the feelings that

are strung together through a series of words. In

everyday life, the most widely used skill is the ability

to hear, which is more than 50% of all

communication. So it can be said that listening is the

most critical thing in communicating (Yakoyama,

2008).

We acquire good language skills from an

interesting learning process. Learning is a

combination of studying and teaching. Studying is a

process that is carried out by a person to obtain a new

behavior change as a whole, as a result of his own

experience in interacting with his environment.

Meanwhile, teaching relates to activities carried out

by teachers (Slameto, 2003). The process of learning

is that the teacher provides experiences that include

knowledge, skills, values, and norms that function as

controlling the attitudes and behavior of students

(Sugandi, 2000). So, in a learning process, there is an

interaction between the learner and the teacher.

Interactions that occur between learners and

teachers can be centered on one party. If it is the

lecturer is the center of the learning activities the

process can be called Teacher Centered Learning

(TCL). Teachers become a source of knowledge and

learners only accept everything they say. Whereas, if

learning is student-centered, it is called Student

Centered Learning (SCL). One form of learning

using this SCL approach is to involve students

actively in the learning process by providing

simulations. Simulations can be given in the form of

a game or through questions posed by the teacher. A

game or simulation is a simplified, operational model

that provides students with vicarious participation in

Yusri, L., Idrus, . and Lestari, I.

The Strategy of Using Dictogloss Methods to Improve Listening Capabilities for Japanese Beginner Learners.

DOI: 10.5220/0008679200480051

In Improving Educational Quality Toward International Standard (ICED-QA 2018), pages 48-51

ISBN: 978-989-758-392-6

various roles and events (Gerlach et.al, 1980). In

addition to stimulating learner, The teacher expects

that the learner can grow in willingness to delight in

learning to develop the educational values to be

achieved (Ali, 1979). Broadly defined education

means everything that concerns human development

and development processes (Rohani et.al, 1995). In

education, there is a teaching process which is an

activity that includes what is needed to achieve

specific goals. The achievement of teaching

objectives is in the framework of achieving

educational goals (Wajnryb, 1990).

This article will explain one part of language

skills, namely listening. More precisely is a listening

learning strategy to improve the learner's ability to

learn Japanese for the basic level. The method used is

the dictogloss. The word dictogloss comes from

English and consists of two words, namely the word

dicto or dictate which means dictation or imla, and the

word gloss which means interpretation. The

dictogloss method is a well-known method in

teaching foreign languages (Tarigan, 2015). In this

method, the instructor will read or play a short

discourse recording to the learner at a normal speed.

Then learners are asked to write down as many

keywords as they can. Then they work together in

small groups to reconstruct discourse based on their

understanding of the recordings and keywords they

have written. In the final stage, the results of the

reconstruction will be analyzed and corrected by the

learners. By using the dictogloss method, learners are

trained to listen, understand, interpret, and respond to

the information they listen to.

This digtogloss technique is still classified as

communicative (Makino et.al., 2003). In this

technique, the teacher reads a brief discourse to

students at normal speed and students are asked write

as many words as they can. They then cooperate in

small groups to reconstruct discourse by basing it on

the fragments they had written. This technique is

similar to dictation techniques.

Japanese listening learning for the basic level with

the digtogloss method in this paper is taken from

learning Choukai II courses in The Japanese

Department of Andalas University. The study was

conducted on 40 learners. This course is a compulsory

subject in the curriculum structure including and

associated with Japanese language listening skill.

Chokai II is studied by learners after they learn

Chokai I. Learning these subjects is very important

and influences the learning of other subjects,

especially subjects related to grammar. This is

because the focus of this learning is listening to

conversations with sentence patterns that have been

studied in Grammar courses. The following is an

explanation of listening strategies in Choukai II

courses.

2 THE STRATEGY OF USING

DIGTOGLOSS METHOD IN

JAPANESE LISTENING

LEARNING AT THE BASIC

LEVEL

The listening lessons studied were Choukai II courses

in the Japanese Department of Andalas University.

Learning Objectives of this course are learners are

able to understand the conversations contained in the

CD and answer the questions in the learner's

handbook. In addition, learners are expected to be

able to learn independently and work in a study

group, develop their ICT skills, both in finding

translations or operating computers that have

Japanese programs. This is done so that learners can

develop intrapersonal and interpersonal skills.

The expected learning achievement is that after

following this course the learner can understand the

lecture material around Choukai II learning themes.

Some of the desired themes and functions are that the

learner can ask permission to do something, prohibit

bad deeds, show the way, and show how to use tools

such as ATMs and ticket machines. Then the learner

can answer the questions provided in the handbook.

The contribution of this Choukai II course in the

Japanese Language curriculum is significant. It is

related to the learner's competence to listen to

Japanese that relates to the grammar learned in other

courses. Also, the competencies obtained in this

subject can be the basis for subsequent Japanese

language learning.

To support learning, the learning guide used is

Minna no Nihongo Shoukyu I Choukai Tasuku 25 [9].

The approach taken up until the present is Student-

Centered Learning (SCL), which focuses the learning

on the learners.

The use of the dictogloss method in the Choukai

II course can be explained briefly as follows: the

instructor reads or plays a short discourse recording

to the learner at normal speed. Then learners are

asked to write down as many keywords as they can.

Then they work together in small groups to

reconstruct discourse based on their understanding of

the recordings and keywords they have written. In the

final stage, the results of the reconstruction will be

analyzed and corrected by the learners. By using the

dictogloss method, it is expected that learners are

The Strategy of Using Dictogloss Methods to Improve Listening Capabilities for Japanese Beginner Learners

trained to listen, understand, interpret, and respond to

the information they listen to. So, this technique is a

combination of two techniques, namely dictation, and

interpretation. In this study the learning objectives

that use the dictogloss method are that learners can

listen to directions in a place, learners can listen to

and understand instructions on how to go somewhere

and how to use a tool in Japan such as a Japanese

ticket-buying machine. The following is an

explanation of the stages of learning with the

digtogloss method.

2.1 Preparation

This stage is carried out into 2 steps. First, the lecturer

will give questions or pictures related to the topic.

The aim is to provide simulations so that learners

become interested in attending lectures. The

questions asked are those related to their daily lives

which are linked to the theme. Questions are asked in

Indonesian because Japanese knowledge is still

limited. Second, Lecturers give instructions on

vocabulary related to the text that will be heard. The

technology used in this lecture is to laptops, speakers,

CDs and a PowerPoint used by the lecturer to support

learning. All of these tools are available in the

Japanese Language Department's Laboratory

Language Department.

2.2 Implementation of the Dictogloss

Method

This is divided into 2 steps. First, the lecturer plays

the CD track that is connected with the text learned at

normal speed. At this time, learners are only asked to

listen without writing so they can gain an overview of

what they hear. The second step is a dictation, which

involves stopping the CD at the end of every

sentence. This is done twice so that learners can freely

listen to the pronunciation of the CD well. The

lecturer will dictate the text learned. The dictation is

carried out.

2.3 Reconstruction

This process is carried out with learners being asked

to discuss the listening text in groups. The goal is that

learners can equate what has been heard and correct

each other's results from the dictation they hear. The

object of this activity is that the original text that was

played can be reconstructed.

2.4 Correction and Analysis

This correction and analysis process is carried out by

the lecturer, namely by asking questions related to the

text and giving directions about the text that has been

dictated. Furthermore, the learner corrects the text if

there is an error.

This learning activity took a learning session to

find the answers from the listening text and also

reconstruct that text. When the learner tries to

interpret the conversation he hears the more

vocabulary and sentences are understood, the better

the understanding of the theme being studied. The

way the learner conveys his response and responds

during the discussion or in answering questions

provided references for the assessment component of

the learning process. The learner's final score is a

combination of attendance, attitude, response during

lectures, mid semester exam grades, and end of

semester exam scores. After using this dictoglass

method in class the results of this assessment ranged

from A to B. 7 students scored A, 5 A-, 19 B+ and 4

To find the learner's response to learning with this

method a questionnaire was distributed to find the

shortcomings and advantages of learning with the

dictogloss method. Learners were asked whether they

found it easier or harder to understand conversations

with this method. They were asked their opinion

about the text written with this method. And the most

importantly thing is the advantages and disadvantages

of this method in lectures according to the learner.

This is important for future lectures.

Learning by using the dictogloss method was

judged to be easier and more interesting by the learner

than learning by only listening to the CD and then

answering the questions which. They assume that

learners can recall the sentence structure that has been

learned when writing the dictated

text.

The other advantages of dictogloss methods is

that learners could understand long sounds and short

sounds in vocabulary writing. Also, learners could

work in groups, and discuss the right answers. This

method was also enjoyable and not boring. Learners

could practice Japanese by answering Japanese

questions submitted by lecturers so learners were

more active in learning.

In addition to the advantages, some disadvantages

were expressed; the long time needed in learning

compared to conventional learning. Teachers needed

more time to prepare lectures preparing questions

related to the theme, also the teacher must allow time

for the learners to discuss the material with their

ICED-QA 2018 - International Conference On Education Development And Quality Assurance

classmates. This requires good time management.

Other things that needs to be checked before using

this listening activity is the condition of equipment

such as speakers and computer.

3 CONCLUSIONS

After the author analyzed the data based on the results

of the research in Choukai II class using the

dictogloss methods, it could be concluded that the use

of the dictogloss method in listening can improve

learners' listening skills. Therefore, the dictogloss

method can be used as an alternative language

teaching method that can be practiced by other

teachers.

Based on the learning outcomes, overall the

learners gained adequate scores from the range A to

B. Besides analyzing the test results the researcher

has also conducted interviews with the learners which

indicated that the dictogloss method was found to

help the learner understand the conversation that was

heard through the CD. Vocabulary and understanding

of Japanese grammar was also increased. However,

this method requires equipment for listening that

igrammars in good condition.

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The Strategy of Using Dictogloss Methods to Improve Listening Capabilities for Japanese Beginner Learners