For language teachers aiming to elevate students’ proficiency, combining dictation with translation into the target language (L2) offers a dynamic, dual-prompt approach. Students receive a written prompt in their native language (L1) and a spoken prompt in the L2, with the goal of producing the written L2 form. By integrating scaffolded activities -- such as text reordering, gap-fills, word reordering, separating fused words, and spelling tasks with word shape or letter clues -- this method enhances engagement and guides students toward accurate L2 output. Platforms like TextActivities provide an ideal environment for delivering these interactive, progressively challenging tasks. Research supports this approach, highlighting its ability to improve linguistic accuracy, fluency, and retention through structured support.
The Power of Dual-Prompt Dictation-Translation
Many of the activities available on TextActivities.com -- both text rebuild and vocab / matching -- can be seen as scaffolded dictation activities, i.e. which require students to listen to some language in the L2 (the target language) and also interact in some way with that same bit of language in its written form.
This blog takes a look at how this works and which modes to choose if your aim is to practise dictation-like activities.