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Have you ever tried taking a dictation?

Liz English

Cafetalk....it's all about talking, right? Well yes, but I believe that if you want to improve your speaking skills then doing some focused practice on listening, spelling, and grammar is also vital. And there's one exercise that trains these 3 areas simultaneously : dictation
 
It’s simple: someone reads a passage aloud (dictates), and you write down exactly what you hear (note-taker). Then, you check your writing together. Sounds easy? Maybe, but it’s also incredibly effective

Sharpen Your Listening Skills
English sounds can be tricky, especially when words connect or are pronounced differently than expected. Taking a dictation trains your ears to catch these sounds clearly.

Improve Spelling and Grammar
Writing what you hear forces you to think about spelling, punctuation, and sentence structure. You’ll start to notice how native speakers build sentences — and that helps your writing too!

Train Your Brain
Note-taking is active learning. You’re not just listening or writing—you’re doing both, plus thinking quickly. That makes it a great brain workout!

Build Confidence
The more you practice, the more confident you’ll feel with English. You’ll be surprised how much you understand after just a few sessions.

If you've never tried it before then I can offer a fun & supportive environment to give it a go. 

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This column was published by the author in their personal capacity.
The opinions expressed in this column are the author's own and do not reflect the view of Cafetalk.

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