There are many factors that make the industry of language service providers a fascinating area. Although we could highlight its undeniable contribution to mutual understanding and connection between different cultures, to the prosperity of trading partnerships and the significant dissemination of culture, it has another equally commendable aspect. Specifically, we are referring to the array of services it provides and the diverse formats that language services adopt to satisfy the wide range of needs of the clients involved in the offer. Because, let’s be honest, for the general public this industry is just concerned with inter-language adaptation in all its forms: translations, corrections, localization applied to the most popular areas, such as documents from different kinds of businesses, the audiovisual field, even the field of oral translation or interpretation, acting as mediation services in multilanguage events. The truth is that wherever there is a service demand which even minimally includes the linguistic aspect, we should involve a professional who specializes in the language and translation field. It doesn’t come as a surprise that nearly every aspect of our lives is ruled by linguistic elements, so the presence of an expert in this field is always within reach and, if we come from the commercial sector, becomes a true necessity.
Now, what are those services that are not directly related to translation but still play an important role in certain processes that clients demand solutions for concerning interlanguage mediation? Well, there are dozens of them! In this article we’d like to highlight the value of an up-and-coming service which, despite appearances to the contrary, is part of our daily lives, whether at a personal or at a company level. Indeed, we are referring to transcription services.
Transcription is a language service which consists in reproducing audiovisual content into a written medium. The content can also consist only of either audio or video files. In other words, transcriptions meet the specific need for a graphic impression of an audiovisual material for different purposes, such as being able to edit the transcribed text, or providing a written copy of oral material for different processes, using the transcribed text as a template on which to work on translations or simply as auxiliary material that allows the audience to read the audiovisual content being reproduced. With such a definition, it is clear that transcriptions are a part of many aspects in our daily environment, even more nowadays, when multimedia and audiovisual content is at the heart of our relationship with technology, of different kinds of working fields, and of course, of our entertainment. The translation industry has found not only a successful market niche in this field, but a reality in which it must be actively involved to overcome barriers, streamline processes and improve the quality of relevant goods and services. With that settled, where can we find transcription needs?
To answer this question, we must first consider which kind of players produce these materials, since transcription will be intimately linked to them. Indeed, the audiovisual industry is the largest producer of materials which include audio tracks and on-screen text. In this industry, transcription is of high value, as it is particularly useful for several purposes. The transcription of this type of contents is used to prepare subtitles that can be attached to the audiovisual materials and thus facilitate the understanding of the message to different audiences (such as those with impaired hearing or a lower level of oral comprehension). Likewise, these transcribed texts are usually sent to translation teams so that translators can work on an editable format, which allows for a more thorough quality control, instead of directly translating on the audio track. However, the audiovisual industry is not the only beneficiary of transcription services, as they are often requested for judicial proceedings. Oftentimes, the parties must provide material evidence which does not exist in written format (e.g., screenshots, audio messages, phone recordings, etc.) but which must by law be filed in written form to be granted validity. Hence, jobs of this nature are more and more frequent since our use of audiovisual technology keeps increasing every day.
Nevertheless, we must consider that, although transcription is quickly defined as the written reproduction of an oral content, carrying it out is not that simple and, of course, it is not usually a task that we can entrust to a non-specialist, since every transcription job comes with certain requirements that lead to different types of transcription. Do you know how many types of transcription are there and what are they used for?
Transcriptions are fundamentally divided into three types:
- Intelligent verbatim: Here, the content of the audio track is transcribed, all the while omitting the non-informative content, in other words, the typical conversational props, such as filler words and stuttering. The aim is to obtain an easily readable text, which represents only the essential content. This is the ideal transcription style for interviews, for example.
- Smooth verbatim: Here, the content of the audio track is transcribed including both informative and non-informative content, so that, additionally, we are going to find filler words, stuttering, grammatical errors, repetitions, etc. This transcription style is ideal for anthropological studies.
- True verbatim: The content of the audio track is transcribed and, additionally, other comments concerning paralinguistic factors, such as intonation, the use of silences or gesturing, which we all know contribute valuable information to the interpretation of messages. This is the ideal transcription style to use in judicial proceedings.
For this reason, there must be effective communication between clients requiring transcription services and language service providers, so they can always advise them on the most appropriate type of transcription for their projects with the aim of achieving greater success in their international business objectives.
Image reference: https://www.rev.com/blog/transcription-blog/reasons-to-transcribe-audio-to-text
