Dictation has been regarded as a technique to train pupils to listen carefully, concentrate for the time being and retain what is being spoken, and reproduce it in good handwriting at a reasonable speed. Listening to dictation demands concentration on the part of pupils. Besides concentration, it is an exercise in retention and writing neatly and legibly with a good speed. Key Points Mutual dictation: In this activity, both students receive the same gapped text, except that those words which are present in A's text (for example) are gapped in B's, and vice-versa. . The students know that each group has half of the text. A dictates and B writes, then B dictates and A writes until the text is complete. So, not only are the students listening, but also writing. Hence, it is clear that the above-mentioned activity is known as mutual dictation. Additional Information In Paragraph dictation, the teacher reads the paragraph twice and the students are required to work in groups to listen and rewrite the paragraph nearer to what they heard and not exactly the same sentence.