Dictation Notes

Dictation is the single best way to practice your Greek, but it is also the most difficult - especially at the beginning when the alphabet is still foreign to you. The following notes should help you in using the Dictation exercise to help you practice the vocabulary in each lesson.

1. Listen. First, play through the audio file just repeating what is said. Do not try to write anything down.

2. First run-through. Listen to the audio file and try to write down each word as you hear it, but without any accent marks at all! Leave a gap for any word you are not sure of. It's a really good idea to pronounce the word out loud as yourself while you write. If you have extra time during the pauses, try writing down the English meaning of the word, or just repeating the word out loud over and over again to yourself in Greek.

3. Repeat. Listen to the audio file again, checking your answers and filling in any gaps that you had. If you need to stop the file and replay part of it repeatedly, go ahead and do that. You can also pause the playback in order to give yourself more time to write something down or to think about your answer.

4. Add stress marks. Finally, check your work one last time by listening to the file, adding an acute accent mark on the stressed syllable of the word. This time make sure you repeat each word out loud at least once, preferably two or three times, as the tape plays.

4. Check answers. When you have done your best, check your answers. Pay special attention to the vowels, since these are the most difficult items to get used to. Don't worry about the difference between acute and circumflex accents, but make sure you understand which syllable in the word gets the accent.