Dictations - A recipe for sourdough bread

This is part of our series of dictations, where you can listen to someone speaking and try to write down everything that you hear. Doing lots of dictations regularly will not only develop your general listening skills, but will also help you improve your spelling and punctuation. In this activity, the dictation is based on a recipe for sourdough bread.

Download worksheets here

This is the worksheet you will need for Task 1

You can also download a worksheet with all the activities on.

Teachers - you can download the sound files by clicking on the small arrow on the right of the sound "widget".

A recipe for sourdough bread - paper version

Gap-fill dictation worksheet (Task 1)

Preparation - think about instructions

You are going to listen to a dictation on making a simple version of sourdough bread.

Before you start, look at the instructions for making the bread below, which are in the wrong order. Decide on the correct order of these instructions and write down your answer.

Put in an oiled loaf tin
Leave until doubled in size
Bake in a pre-heated oven
Stir all the ingredients together
Tap to hear a hollow sound
Turn with your hands

You will be able to check whether your sequence is correct at the end of the activities.

Task 1 - gap-fill dictation

Gap-fill dictation

Download and print the gap-fill dictation worksheet.

Listen to the audio and fill in the missing words:

Then check your answers in the "Answers" section, below.

Task 2 - listening carefully

In this activity, you will listen to some words from the dictation and match them to the correct spelling.

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Task 3 - word-counting

In this activity you will count the number of words in phrases that you heard in the dictation.

This will give you practice in identifying individual words in a stream of sound.

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Task 4 - linking sounds

In spoken English, we often add extra sounds between words to link our words together.

As a result, when you listen to a continuous stream of sound in English, it can be very difficult to identify the individual words.

These extra linking sounds are:

/r/ e.g. Four ^/r/ onions

/j/ e.g. three^/j/oranges

/w/ e.g. two ^/w/ apples

Listen to the phrases here:

Complete the following task which will focus on listening for these linking sounds from the dictation. Repeat them to practise good pronunciation

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Task 5 - syllable stress

Listen to the audio. While you listen, read the following information:

In natural, spoken English, we don’t pronounce each syllable with the same emphasis (word stress)

For example: 'guarantee'

In a phrase, we also have a mixture of weak and strong stress sounds:

For example: ‘a single to Leeds’

‘turn left at the lights’

Listen to some examples here:

Word and syllable stress examples by ESOL Nexus

Listen to these words and phrases from the dictation and match them to the correct stress pattern.

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Task 6 - dictation

Now do the whole dictation. You need to listen to the audio and write down everything you hear.

Get a pen or pencil and some paper ready.

Important: Pause the recording if you need more time to write.

When you’ve finished, check your writing with the transcript.

Here are the first few words:

This recipe takes one to two days to prepare. You need: ...

Transcript

Bread recipe transcript

This recipe takes one to two days to prepare. You need: 2 half pint mugs of strong white bread flour, 1 teaspoon of seasalt, half a teaspoon of dried yeast, one tablespoon of olive oil.

Put all the ingredients in a large bowl, add a mug of lukewarm water and mix together with a wooden spoon. The dough must be quite wet, so add more water if you need to. Brush some clingfilm with oil and cover the dough. Then leave it in a warm place for 12 to 24 hours. It will be ready when it is covered in small bubbles.

Remove the clingfilm, sprinkle a wooden board or worktop with flour, and pour the dough onto this. Add flour to your hands, then pat and turn the dough into a round shape.

Put the dough into an oiled loaf tin and cover with a teatowel. Leave it again for 3 to 4 hours until the dough is double in size and has lots of small holes. Bake in a pre-heated oven, 200 degrees C for 35 to 40 minutes. The bread is ready when you tap the bottom and it makes a hollow sound.

Answers

2 half pint mugs of strong white bread flour
of seasalt
of dried yeast
of olive oil
in a large bowl
and mix together with a wooden spoon
quite wet, so add more water
with oil
in a warm place
to 24 hours
when it is covered in small
sprinkle a wooden board
and pour the dough onto this
then pat and turn the dough
into an oiled
Leave it again for 3 to 4 hours
is double in size
for 35 to 40 minutes
when you tap the bottom

Discussion

Look back at the notes you made at the beginning of these activities about the sequence of the bread recipe instructions. Did you put them in the right order?

This recipe is just one version of sourdough bread. Sourdough is a very ancient process for making bread and cakes, and there are many different recipes. You could search on the internet for other sourdough recipes.

Have you got a favourite bread recipe you could tell us about?

What did you think of this activity? Please write your comments below.

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Comments

giuliana

Submitted by giuliana on Sun, 01/20/2013 - 17:15.

Great activity improving all the skills in the same time.

CHIARAMAR

Submitted by CHIARAMAR on Thu, 12/20/2012 - 19:22.

I would suggest more exercises on this activity : an englishlike pronunciation with proper rhythm is difficult to acquire by learners :-)

Dictations - A recipe for sourdough bread

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