Topic Eight (1.8): Transcribing Speech
Introduction
A transcript is the name we give to a written record of speech. These do not follow the usual conventions of written texts, including punctuation. They also record the non-fluency features which would be ordinarily be edited out of a written text. In this topic, you will learn more about transcriptions, including phonetic symbols as they appear on the International Phonetic Alphabet.
Read and Make Notes
Read pages 280 to 282 in the textbook and make notes.
Tasks
- Pay very close attention to the international phonetic alphabet on page 281. There is also a helpful reference table on page 435. It’s a good idea to put a bookmark in these pages so you can refer back to them easily.
- The following video explains the International Phonetic Alphabet in more detail. Watch it and add to your notes:
- Note that the IPA is based on Received Pronunciation (RP) which we will study in more detail later in the course. For an overview of this, see the following:
EXPLORE – Received Pronunciation (The British Library) Links to an external site.
WATCH – What is an RP Accent? (YouTube) Links to an external site.
- Complete Activities 1 and 2 the textbook.
Stretch Activities
- Complete the ‘Think Like a Speech Therapist’ activity on page 282 – by yourself!
- One way very helpful way to understand the structure of speech and transcripts better is to make your own transcripts. You are not required to do this in the exam, but it is a good way to revise and become more familiar with the characteristics and features of speech.
- To challenge yourself, try the following activities:
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- Make your own transcript by listening to an exchange between two or more speakers and then writing this down, using the symbols and conventions you have seen in the transcripts you have read so far.
- Download one of the podcasts available of BBC Radio 4’s The Listening Project, an excellent series consisting of clips of recorded speech on a wide range of topics, from refugees to Marmite. Choose a topic that appeals to you. (N.B. These clips are also very good tools for revision later on, as you can listen to them and note down the various features of spontaneous speech that you hear).
EXPLORE – The Listening Project (BBC) Links to an external site.
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- You can also try recording the speech of some friends or family (with their permission) or you could use clips from the television, radio or internet, but remember: the speech needs to be spontaneous and to contain non-fluency features, so don’t choose anything that has a script.
Consolidate
Complete the self-assessment checklist on page 282.
Terminology
Make sure you understand all the key terms covered in this topic. You may like to make flashcards of key terms now, to help you with revision later on.
Assignment
When you have completed all the activities and are fully prepared and feel confident with the material, you should complete Assignment One and submit it to your tutor via Canvas for marking and feedback.
Please note: Assignment One is based on a transcript containing adults’ speech, but this is an introduction only; in Paper 3, you will ONLY be tested on transcripts containing children’s speech such as the ones you will practise in Assignments Two and Three. The purpose of this assignment is to test your understanding of the conventions and characteristics of transcripts.