Shooting the breeze with some computer types over a pint the other day, we

went round the pub table saying which bits of kit we currently value most in

our digitally-based work. When it came to me, having heard about various

lovely pieces of software and hardware and so forth, I said, “My fingers and

my ears.”

Sure, I make a living from transcribing audio. So no wonder I value the ability

to hear and type! But it got me thinking about how, despite all the wonders

of new technology, to translate the spoken word into text, without a person

– and their fingers and ears – in the middle of the process, it is all a bit

unsatisfactory.

People want things transcribed for a zillion different reasons. Having a bit

of digital kit to do that for them may entirely fulfil their requirements. I’ve no

argument with that.

Much of what we ‘say’ however is not contained in our words and for a

transcript to show real meaning this fact needs to be engaged with. Pitch,

intonation, pause, stutter, laughter, applause – it all adds to meaning. And

it adds hugely to the sense of the communication going on in any verbal

discourse. We say so much more than we ‘say’.

And in the process of saying stuff, syntax, grammar and vocabulary itself is

turned over, twisted around, is brutally wounded and sometimes left lying

half alive! But this is all part of the fun if you love words since it shows us the

process of reaching for verbal communication and shared meaning between

each other. It’s what makes us human.

A good transcriptionist can deliver in text that sense of discovery of ideas,

representation of thoughts and shared understanding shown through

those half-starts and never-finished utterances. With judicious use of

punctuation, set in place by a breathing, living person, speech can be faithfully

represented. And with thoughtful text breaks, meaning is made clear, even

in the most random of conversations or discussions. A transcriptionist’s skill

in doing this – as much as the ability to put the right digit on the right key – is

central to the ‘art’ of making a transcription.

Also there are all the accents out there. It’s a cliché to talk about English

being central to communication around the world and this becomes really

clear when working for UK Transcription. It would not be unusual to find

yourself transcribing a recording of a Dutch guy and his American PA talking

to their Nigerian client while a Norwegian consultant chips in comments from

down a phone line! Could a piece of software get to grips with all this? English

is global and it absorbs different grammar and vowel sounds as different

nationalities use it.

Then there are all the styles of talking which show so much meaning – fast,

excited; slow and thoughtful; engaged, bored; clear or muffled. Only a living,

breathing, good old human being can truly interpret this. Along with all the

interruptions and cross-talking which can show sometimes more clearly

than anything else the nature of the debate or discussion going on. Is this

a confrontation? A friendly chat? An informative presentation? A broadcast

interview? Style is everything.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m no Luddite. I’m quite happy to talk to my phone,

for instance, and tell it who to dial (despite the beauty and wonder of its

little touch screen) when I can’t be bothered to lift a finger after a long day

transcribing other people’s thoughts and ideas. It’s like Star Trek! Who would

have thought this possible even a few years back? Futurology and having the

imagination to conjure up new ways of using technology to make life simpler,

more interesting, and entertaining, is key in making such sci-fi-esque things

possible in our daily life. And long may it continue!

But I’ll make my own prediction about the future when it comes to audio-to-

text here though: my opposable thumbs, primitive though they are, will be

hitting that space bar, and my trusty fingers will be wearing the lettering off

the keys of my faithful, old, and very basic, qwerty keyboard, for some time to

come!

A lot of people don’t know what transcription is. “I listen. And then
I write it down,” I say. I make hand gestures to illustrate it, miming
the act, without which my explanation would remain indecipherable.

“For what?” they ask. The idea, in this age, that things get typed up
in a seemingly long process surprises no-one… but what exactly needs
to be typed up?

I usually respond that I type meetings and interviews. But that is
only half the fun. I get to be a fly on the wall, party to the
conversations and events that make our society tick. The ones that
need to be recorded and referenced for their importance. Or I type
hours of sports commentary.

Previously, I worked on television documentaries. The thrill of
gaining exclusive insights into peoples’ lives and their stories is
what drew me. I was a fly on the wall, albeit a huge one with imposing
lights, cameras, and microphones dangling in front of peoples’ faces
from above. Now it is just me, a computer and a comfortable set of
headphones. I am a much smaller fly.

I have learnt about accident investigation, health
services and drug addiction, how to play poker, how to run a
successful global engineering business. (Money, drugs and gambling.
It’s a healthy diet!) Some of the sound files I get sent made me
think, others have made me cry. And of course, they’re all
confidential, so I must keep these personal tragedies and triumphs all
to myself.

I am an auto-completion thrill-seeker. (That’s when word processors type
half the word for me. Or correct my spelling as I go. My favourite
sentences all have names of months and days of the week in them. I
can’t type the word “beautiful” with letters in the right order.)

I am attached to the word processor, the keyboard, the pedal.
Transcription is more tactile, sensual than you would imagine. I try
not to be bitter about the way most people speak. (Ungrammatically.) I
love Wikipedia and won’t type a word I don’t understand. I am
interested in etymology. I remain constantly fascinated and I wonder if the
correct spelling of obscure famous peoples’ names, the heads of
panels, the authors of unimaginably niche reports, surprises our
clients.

But mostly I am grateful to you – the clients, for your quirky
stories, curious interviews, ambitious theses, and investigative
passion. Thanks for keeping my job interesting. You are all unique.

Joe

Hello and welcome to the new UK Transcription blog.

Here you can find news and updates about UK Transcription’s expanding range of services, and also more general news relating to transcription, speech to text technologies, and writing.

If you have any suggestions for posts, please feel welcome to contact us.