Delayed Repetition

The teacher says a phrase, counts to three, and the class repeats it from memory, with phrase length gradually increasing.

Procedure

1. Say a short phrase clearly.
2. Count to three (or pause briefly).
3. The class repeats the phrase together.
4. Gradually increase the length of the phrase across successive turns.
5. Optionally, increase the pause between listening and speaking to make the task harder.

Tips

• The length of phrase a learner can hold in memory is an indicator of language proficiency, so this activity directly builds a useful skill.
• Can also be done in pairs, with one learner saying phrases for the other to repeat.
• Providing written support (key content words visible) allows much longer phrases to be held in memory.
• Works well as a quick warm-up or filler activity.
• Closely related to dictation (listening input, written output) but uses spoken output instead.