Dictation (exercise)

Dictation is the transcription of spoken text: one person who is "dictating" speaks and another who is "taking dictation" writes down the words as they are spoken. Among speakers of several languages, dictation is used as a test of language skill, similar to spelling bees in the English-speaking world. Secondary to teaching language skills, the exercise of dictation has also been used to introduce students to literary works, and to instill morals. Dictation has also been used in an attempt to capture endangered or dying languages, as in the case of Victoria Howard, a Chinook speaker who dictated songs and stories to Melville Jacobs.