Transcription is a challenging process that requires extra effort and dedication. Transcription among translation and interpretation is often flabbergasting for people. They assume one term for another and so on. Transcription is a different process and is a two-way procedure. The individuals and translator have to work with an audio file to start with.
Transcription comprises different types.These are
- Verbatim transcription
- Intelligent verbatim
- Edited transcription
- Phonetic transcription
Each one of these types comes with a different intent and purpose and requires an intense and deep level of detail.
Therefore, assigning the tasks of transcription to someone who has great talent and a flair for the task is extremely vital. Most people get drained and exhausted during the process and can lose interest compromising quality. Whereas true professionals are those who understand the process well. Transcription is a process that deals with the conversion of text spoken verbally or recorded into written text. This is a challenging process and hence requires certain skills and attributes to deal with its complex nature.
Here are a few of the important skills that can help translators navigate through the challenges of the transcription process.
Excellent listening skills
In contributing to professional transcription services, translators and individuals need to possess exceptional listening skills. This is vital to hear and translate the content accurately. The audio files and voice recordings are often noisy and could contain unclear content. Moreover, there is a great variation of accents as well as the pace at which different people speak and utter words. They could talk quickly in audio and many others could be slow and not much audible. In order to translate the content clearly and accurately only those translators can excel who are good at catching the words effortlessly. Therefore, good listening skills are primarily important for translators who delve into transcription.
Fierce typing speed
A strong and robust typing speed is inevitable to excel in the process of translation, and transcription as well as for desktop publishing services. As the DTP process also deals with digital printing, good speed can be greatly beneficial. Hence, the second important skill is to have good and accurate typing skills to manage the transcription of audio efficiently. As the experts suggest, the typing speed of around 50-70 words per minute is important. The translators have to listen to the audio files and take notes in the original language before they translate it. Accurate typing is a prerequisite for quality and accurate translation. Thus, good typing speed helps with typing the original content clearly.
Grammar and punctuation
Sound knowledge and understanding of grammar and punctuation is another important skill set required for a good translator who intends to excel in transcription. These skills are significant in ensuring that transcription content is coherent, grammatically correct, and error-free. A transcribed content is more likely to have mistakes and grammar errors hence it is imperative to take care of the grammar and punctuation rules among spelling errors.
Time management
A lot of translators often fail to manage their time well while working on professional transcription services. Meeting deadlines is crucial and ignoring these can invite catastrophic circumstances and can be a reason for the fall of a business. A lot of businesses and entrepreneurs often go for desktop publishing services after getting the content transcribed and translated and the whole process could be extensive and time-consuming. During such a situation, the translation company and team of transcribers should make sure to convey the right time required for the tasks and should deliver as per the commitment. In order to work as per the timeline provided the team and translators should ensure that they have good time management skills and prioritize the important tasks.
Research skills
Good research and development skills are fundamental for professional transcription services. The translators and transcribers have to verify certain facts and information. They often have to use particular terms and terminology as well. The research terminology and contextual information are imperative for an accurate transcript. This is particularly crucial while dealing with specialized and particular subjects.
Patience and concentration
The job of transcribing an audio can be a tedious task often. A good concentration level as well as staying patient is the key to quality transcription. It is important that the team and translators maintain a good focus and contribute to high-quality work. They could also need to be focused and patient if they intend to opt for desktop publishing services. Moreover, the transcribers have to deal with repetitive sentences and they would need to play the audio file multiple times to catch certain phrases or sentences. This could be annoying for many people. However, the transcriber has to keep calm and stay patient in order to deliver a quality job.
Communication skills
Communication skills are important for one and all and pave the way to a smooth business and interaction among people from all walks of life. These are certainly important for the transcription process too. The translators have to deal with many clients who could have different natures and styles of working. Effective communication helps to deal with the clients and employers to clear their misconceptions about the work. They also get great help with unclear parts of the audio files. Also, translators are able to deal with the content transparently.
Conclusion
Professional transcription services are challenging and extensive. Therefore, it demands professional and committed translators who have a certain skill set to excel in the field. Important skills include listening, good typing speed, a good knowledge of grammar rules, and managing time well with accurate research skills.
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