What is Dictation?

Since the introduction of modern technology and transcription software, traditional dictation has become a thing of the past. Dictation is the transcription of spoken word to text that includes someone who is “taking dictation” and another who is “dictating” or speaking. When we picture this, it usually looks like someone sitting in front of a typewriter, computer, or with a pen and paper writing down words spoken by another person. One very common, and current, use of dictation is that done by a court stenographer who transcribes all the spoken words during a hearing or trial. But dictation is used in many other professions and has a multitude of benefits for personal and business purposes.

Why Use Dictation?

Dictation is helpful for a number of reasons including comprehension, accessibility, and learning. When listening to a speech or other formal oral presentation, it is easy to get distracted after a certain period of time. It is also not uncommon for specific accents, speech impediments, or hearing conditions to get in the way of comprehending a spoken piece. Dictation overcomes these issues by placing spoken word into a readable, tangible object.

When considering accessibility, dictation is extremely helpful for those with specific hearing or learning conditions. Someone who is deaf or hard-of-hearing would be able to read the dictation of a business meeting or seminar. Another benefit of dictation is learning. A great way to learn and practice language is to take dictation. A teacher can use this when practicing spelling and grammar by having their students write down spoken sentences, words, and phrases.

When Can Dictation Be Used?

Dictation can be used for any project for business or personal reasons. Some helpful uses of dictation would be the dictation of an important business meeting, a trial or hearing, a podcast or presentation, or a class lecture. The dictation of such events ensures the comprehension, attention, and understanding of an oral presentation is accessible to all people. Dictation also means that important information can be more readily shared in a technology-driven world.

Who Can Take Dictation?

Today, dictation is found in many forms. There is the traditional form of dictation as mentioned earlier. But this has been overcome by technological advances and new software. Dictation now can look like voice recognition on smart devices or a transcription service. Dictation through a transcription service would require a recorded file to be sent in electronically to be transcribed and then sent back to the customer.

Here at Preferred Transcriptions, we can help you with all your dictation needs. Contact us to speak to one of our experts about the services we provide. We are happy to help.