Transcribing Speech Summary PDF

Term 2: Unit 3 Transcribing speech Features of transcribed speech In the previous units in this section you have learned that speech is not governed by the same rules as writing. This also applies to the transcription, or writing down, of speech, which records the pauses and hesitations as well as...

Term 2: Unit 3 Transcribing speech Features of transcribed speech In the previous units in this section you have learned that speech is not governed by the same rules as writing. This also applies to the transcription, or writing down, of speech, which records the pauses and hesitations as well as the words that are spoken. Speech transcripts do not follow the normal conventions of writing: speech marks are never used and other punctuation marks are used only sparingly - mainly where any confusion about meaning could occur. Features of transcribed speech Phonetics Phonetics is the study of speech sounds. Although language is obviously composed of sound, speech sounds only became the main focus of linguistic investigation in the 20th century. Before that, linguists were more interested in written language. Linguists now realise that studying the sounds of language helps to give a much more precise analysis of accents, especially in the way that they change in different conversational contexts, and that sounds are also important in the study of child language acquisition. Features of transcribed speech Phonetics Phonetic transcripts record the sounds of a speaker according to a standard set of phonemes (sounds) and some transcripts also record intonation. Phonetic transcripts are a time-consuming but precise method of writing down spoken language. Features of transcribed speech The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) The International Phonetic Alphabet is the standard form of transcription, created to represent the standardised sounds of spoken English. It comprises individual letters and diacritics (marks) which indicate specific pronunciations. Features of transcribed speech The International Phonetic Alphabet (Received Pronunciation). The words below the symbols demonstrate the phonemes. For example, the symbol i represents the 'i' sound in ‘sit. The reference words are specific to an accent - in this case, Received Pronunciation. Features of transcribed speech Symbols used in speech transcription The symbols used in speech transcription aim to recreate the manner in which speech is delivered. We pause naturally to take a breath – these are called micropauses – between each group of words, known as tone units. Transcripts may sometimes indicate rising and falling intonation. In each tone unit, the pitch movement (a rise or fall in tone, or a combination of the two) takes place on the most important syllable known as the tonic syllable. The tonic syllable is usually a significant word near the end of the tone unit and contributes towards the pattern of English language pronunciation. Features of transcribed speech As a general rule, the tone falls when we come to the end of a statement (for example, 'He left at four o'clock') and it rises when we are uncertain or are asking a question ('Did she really ask for a pay-rise?'). High-rising terminal pronunciation rises at the end of a sentence. Features of transcribed speech A comparison of speech and transcription Most works of fiction contain a written representation of speech. You will notice that the way that speech is presented in a novel is very different to a transcript. For example, here is a literary representation and transcript of the same speech. Features of transcribed speech Literary representation 'My goodness,' she cried out in dismay, “What's been going on here? Zan looked guilty. He tried to stand in front of the mess, but his mother moved round him. ‘Zan? Zan? What have you been up - ' ‘Nothing' he interrupted. 'Nothing.' 'You've had a party,' his mother turned to him, her eyes furious. 'I can't believe you disobeyed me.' Features of transcribed speech Transcript Mother: my goodness (1) what's been going on here? (2) zan (.) zan (.) what have you been up // Zan: nothing () nothing Mother: you've had a party (1) i can't believe you disobeyed me KEY TERMS accent:characteristic pronunciation associated with a geographical area or social group phonetics: the study of speech sounds in the way they are spoken and pronounced phoneme: the smallest unit of distinguishable sound which distinguishes one word from another in a language (e.g. /f/ in ‘fat’ and /c/ in 'cat' are two different phonemes) KEY TERMS intonation: the rise and fall of the voice while speaking, which can alter the meaning of a word (in British English, the end of an utterance is usually accompanied by falling intonation, though this is changing with high-rising terminals becoming more widely used) micropause: a very short pause to take breath tone units: the natural phrases of speech, usually separated by a micropause for breath KEY TERMS pitch movement: the physical way that the voice quality changes when people speak: if meaning is added to pitch movement, it becomes the tone (e.g. anger, sarcasm) tonic syllable: the main stress in a tone unit Key concept Diversity The huge diversity of the English language offers many opportunities for analysis and comparison between different forms. Spoken English can be recorded and analysed in great detail according to recognised conventions. Why should linguists want to accurately write down and record the details of spoken language? What could be learned from doing this?