Phonetic vs. Orthographic transcription

Broadly speaking, there are two possible approaches to linguistic transcription. Phonetic transcription focuses on phonetic and phonological properties of spoken language. Systems for phonetic transcription thus furnish rules for mapping individual sounds or phonemes to written symbols. Systems for orthographic transcription, by contrast, consist of rules for mapping spoken words onto written forms as prescribed by the orthography of a given language. Phonetic transcription operates with specially defined character sets, usually the International Phonetic Alphabet.

Which type of transcription is chosen depends mostly on the research interests pursued. Since phonetic transcription strictly foregrounds the phonetic nature of language, it is most useful for phonetic or phonological analyses. Orthographic transcription, on the other hand, has a morphological and a lexical component alongside the phonetic component (which aspect is represented to which degree depends on the language and orthography in question). It is thus more convenient wherever meaning-related aspects of spoken language are investigated. Phonetic transcription is doubtlessly more systematic in a scientific sense, but it is also harder to learn, more time-consuming to carry out and less widely applicable than orthographic transcription.

Transcription as theory

Mapping spoken language onto written symbols is not as straightforward a process as may seem at first glance. Written language is an idealisation, made up of a limited set of clearly distinct and discrete symbols. Spoken language, on the other hand, is a continuous (as opposed to discrete) phenomenon, made up of a potentially unlimited number of components. There is no predetermined system for distinguishing and classifying these components and, consequently, no preset way of mapping these components onto written symbols.

Literature is relatively consistent in pointing out the nonneutrality of transcription practices. There is not and cannot be a neutral transcription system. Knowledge of social culture enters directly into the making of a transcript. They are captured in the texture of the transcript (Baker, 2005).

Transcription systems

Transcription systems are sets of rules which define how spoken language is to represented in written symbols. Most phonetic transcription systems are based on the International Phonetic Alphabet or, especially in speech technology, on its derivative SAMPA.

Intonation - complex unity of melody, stress, temporal components (tempo, duration, pause), rhythm, and timbre voice. Intonation prepares statement, the speaker conveys the emotion, his attitude to the other party and the subject of the question. Choosing intonation means of verbal communication is determined by a number of external factors. The nature and situation of communication affect intonation registration statements - friendly conversation familiar to people different from the official, business talk. Expression would be pronounced differently depending on whether the speaker wishes to inform or ask for information. The intonation registration statement also depends on the form of communication - a monologue or dialogue polylogue. The emotional state of the speaker is also reflected in the forms of intonation - neutral speech intonation is different from the emotive.

Syntagma. Segment-sounding phrases as semantic, grammatical and intonation and rhythmic unity. Syntagma can be equal parts of the proposal or the whole sentence. Syntagma separated by pauses. Each has its own peculiar syntagma melodica - sequential change the height of the voice tone on the stressed and unstressed syllables. The main element of the melodic phrase structure - the completion (final tone, the final syntagm). Completion (changing voice pitch on the last stressed syllable) defines communicative orientation phrases indicating its type - approval, issue an order, please - and highlights its communicative center. In addition to complete, syntagma stands prefinite part - the scale of Syntagma. The scale begins with a stressed syllable and ends on the last syllable just before the end tone.

For a graphic representation of intonation traditionally uses the following symbols: 2 parallel lines to indicate the vocal range - an indication of its upper and lower limits between which the stressed syllables are represented on the syntagm appropriate level. Usually calm, unemotional statements heard in the middle voice register. First syllable case located at 2/3 from the bottom of the voice range. A dash indicates a stressed syllable Syntagma. The dot represents the unstressed syllable Syntagma. The curves represent the rising and falling in the completion of the last stressed syllable of the syntagm: no. Curves with dots represent the rising and falling while following the completion of the unstressed syllables / s for the last stressed syllable: yesterday. Pauses between syntagmas identified as: § - polupauza, | - pause, | | - long pause (usually at the end of sentences). Low incidence The usual melodic completion in English intonation. The fall of the tone of voice in the stressed syllable begins at the middle or lower level, reaching extremely low levels. The fall is sharper and steeper than the Russian. Russian decline is very different from English, pronounced in a narrower range and ending at a higher level. Low incidence of sounds categorically reserved, confident, giving utterance completeness. Low Rise In contrast, Russian, English nizkovoskhodyaschee end starts at the lowest level of tone and gradually grows without reaching the average level. In Russian ascent begins at a higher level, resulting in a slight decline. Stepped fall. Downward step scale - the most common in the non-emotional monologue and dialogue speech. The first syllable pronounced at higher than in the Russian language level, the usual steady tone. Each following it stressed syllable pronounced at the lower level, forming a stepped series of syllables. Unstressed syllables are pronounced, as a rule, on a par with the preceding stressed syllable. The high incidence of Graphically, the highest incidence is indicated at the top of the dash in front of the inclined stressed syllable. Phrases with a high incidence sound lively, friendly, friendly. This conclusion is often used in dialogue speech. Impaired fall Gradually descending step scale can be pronounced so that the lowering of the voice tone can be broken at some accented syllable. This syllable is usually pronounced above the previous. This gradually descending scale impaired, where the stressed syllable to be played at a higher level than the preceding, is pronounced with a special lift. Violation of lowering the tone of voice can occur at any stressed syllable of the scale, but the first impact. The text of the broken-progressive scale is indicated by ↑ before pronounceable syllables above: She | went to the | post office ↑ every \ day. Broken-scale gradual highlights the word syntagma - usually in the monologue and dialogue speech unemotional, descriptions ... The fall-rise for English intonation it is typical. Falling-rising conclusion applies to complex tones - the tone of voice at first descends to the lowest level, and then rises up. The fall-rise tone can be done within a syllable or travel a few. The fall-rise at the same time highlights the word in the center of communicative expression, pointing to the incompleteness of Syntagma / phrases. It is a different kind of subtext - a polite correction, apology, regret, doubt, contrast. Graphically, falling-rising completion is indicated by a √ before the stressed syllable: √ Generally ...