Video dictogloss A dictogloss is an integrated skills activity in which a teacher dictates a text at normal speed and students note down as much information as they can. Students then work in groups and try to reconstruct the original text. In the video version of a dictogloss, students follow a particular character in a scene and note down all their lines. Then they work with another student in order to reconstruct the dialogue. For this activity I use a scene from Love Actually (2003). Procedure Pre-task Option 1: Freeze Frame Show students a short snippet of the clip and pause. Elicit where the scene takes place (jewellery section of a department store). Ask students what language they are likely to hear in this scene and tell them to write as many expressions, collocations and key words as they can think of, e.g. “How can I help you?” “How much is it?” “Can I have it gift-wrapped please?” etc. Option 2: Sound off Play the whole scene without sound and do the same langua...