By Ravi Kumar
In this Modlingua Live lesson, Ravi Kumar introduces the basics of transcription. It is the first part of the transcription series and the third session of the Modlingua summer internship video series. The video is titled "5 Reasons Your Transcription Skills Aren't Making You Money" on YouTube.
What transcription is
Transcription is listening to speech in one language and writing it down in the same language. The speaker's first example is English speech written as English text.
Three ways to work across languages
- Same language. Voice in one language to written text in that language, such as Hindi to Hindi.
- Direct into another language. Voice in one language written straight into another, such as Hindi speech into English text. A bilingual transcriber can skip the intermediate step.
- Transcribe, then translate. First write the text in the original language, then translate it into English or another language.
Which option you use depends on the languages you work in and what the client needs.
Full and verbatim transcription
The speaker describes two forms. Full transcription records everything that is said and includes timings, for example every few seconds or at set minute marks. Timings help readers see where a passage comes from, and they let the text be used as captions that line up with the video and audio. Verbatim transcription, as he describes it, aims to capture as much detail as possible so that a reader can picture the context. He contrasts it with a version that focuses on critical points and summaries. If you need the exact definition used by a client, ask for their style guide.
Why it matters
According to the speaker, demand for transcription is growing, and the skill leads to paid work. The video is a theory introduction, and later lessons in the series cover practice.
Questions to take away
- Which of the three language options fits the languages you work in?
- When would a client want timings in a transcript?
- How would you check a transcript before delivering it?
Related reading
Continue with What is transcription: types and fundamentals.
