Speech-to-Text Reporter
Encyclopedia
This article is about Speech-to-Text Reporters who are human beings reproducing speech into a text format onto a computer screen at verbatim speeds for deaf or hard of hearing people to read. It is not about speech recognition
or predictive text
which are computer systems.
A Speech-to-Text Reporter (STTR), also known as a "captioner", listens to what is being said and inputs it, word for word, onto an electronic shorthand keyboard. The keyboard is linked to a computer which converts the shorthand syllables to properly spelled words.
There are two types of keyboard used in the UK, the Palantype system and the Stenograph system. Unlike a QWERTY
keyboard, not every letter in a word is pressed, but several keys will be pressed at once which represent whole words, phrases or shortforms. Specially designed computer software
will then convert these phonetic
chords back into English which can then be displayed for someone to read. The text is displayed either on the screen of a laptop for a sole user, or projected onto a large screen or a series of plasma screens for a larger number of users. An STTR produces a verbatim account of what is said at speeds in excess of 200 words per minute and also gives extra information, such as {laughter} or {applause}, to keep the user informed of the mood of the hearing, meeting or conference. This system can also be used for subtitling and closed captions in television broadcasts or Webcast
s.
The computer software can use a pre-programmed vocabulary specific to the context, information that matches syllable clusters to written forms, and may suggest alternative captions from which the STTR chooses. Errors occur from the STTR mishearing the words and from the need for the STTR to make a decision before an ambiguous statement is made clear by what is said next.
The Professional Association for STTRS is the Association of Verbatim Speech-to-Text Reporters. The Council for Advanced Communication with Deaf People and the Royal National Institute for the Deaf also give more information about STTRs. Speech-to-Text Reporters are also sometimes referred to as Palantypists and Stenographers.
Occasional mondegreen
errors may be seen in closed-captions when the computer software fails to distinguish where a word break occurs in the syllable stream. For example, a news report of a "grand parade" might be captioned as a "grandpa raid". Mondegreens in this context arise from the need for captions to keep up with the fast pace of live television broadcasts.
, where the system was used to record proceedings and provide transcripts when requested. The skills developed in this area have also made them invaluable in the field of communication with deaf people, as they are used to producing work with an extremely high degree of accuracy and acting with complete discretion at all times. An STTR expects to reach consistent levels of accuracy of 98% and above.
Speech recognition
Speech recognition converts spoken words to text. The term "voice recognition" is sometimes used to refer to recognition systems that must be trained to a particular speaker—as is the case for most desktop recognition software...
or predictive text
Predictive text
Predictive text is an input technology used where one key or button represents many letters, such as on mobile phones and in accessibility technologies. Each key press results in a prediction rather than repeatedly sequencing through the same group of "letters" it represents, in the same,...
which are computer systems.
A Speech-to-Text Reporter (STTR), also known as a "captioner", listens to what is being said and inputs it, word for word, onto an electronic shorthand keyboard. The keyboard is linked to a computer which converts the shorthand syllables to properly spelled words.
There are two types of keyboard used in the UK, the Palantype system and the Stenograph system. Unlike a QWERTY
QWERTY
QWERTY is the most common modern-day keyboard layout. The name comes from the first six letters appearing in the topleft letter row of the keyboard, read left to right: Q-W-E-R-T-Y. The QWERTY design is based on a layout created for the Sholes and Glidden typewriter and sold to Remington in the...
keyboard, not every letter in a word is pressed, but several keys will be pressed at once which represent whole words, phrases or shortforms. Specially designed computer software
Computer software
Computer software, or just software, is a collection of computer programs and related data that provide the instructions for telling a computer what to do and how to do it....
will then convert these phonetic
Phonetics
Phonetics is a branch of linguistics that comprises the study of the sounds of human speech, or—in the case of sign languages—the equivalent aspects of sign. It is concerned with the physical properties of speech sounds or signs : their physiological production, acoustic properties, auditory...
chords back into English which can then be displayed for someone to read. The text is displayed either on the screen of a laptop for a sole user, or projected onto a large screen or a series of plasma screens for a larger number of users. An STTR produces a verbatim account of what is said at speeds in excess of 200 words per minute and also gives extra information, such as {laughter} or {applause}, to keep the user informed of the mood of the hearing, meeting or conference. This system can also be used for subtitling and closed captions in television broadcasts or Webcast
Webcast
A webcast is a media presentation distributed over the Internet using streaming media technology to distribute a single content source to many simultaneous listeners/viewers. A webcast may either be distributed live or on demand...
s.
The computer software can use a pre-programmed vocabulary specific to the context, information that matches syllable clusters to written forms, and may suggest alternative captions from which the STTR chooses. Errors occur from the STTR mishearing the words and from the need for the STTR to make a decision before an ambiguous statement is made clear by what is said next.
The Professional Association for STTRS is the Association of Verbatim Speech-to-Text Reporters. The Council for Advanced Communication with Deaf People and the Royal National Institute for the Deaf also give more information about STTRs. Speech-to-Text Reporters are also sometimes referred to as Palantypists and Stenographers.
What will a service user see on the screen?
Every word that is spoken will appear on the screen in an accessible format, although one can request a change in the colour and font size. As well as every word spoken, the words "NEW SPEAKER:" will appear to denote when the speaker changes. If one sends the STTR the names of people attending your conference or meeting before the event, they, too, can be programmed into the computer, making it easier for one to recognise who is speaking. Other phrases, in curly brackets, may also appear, such as {laughter} or {applause}, to denote relevant events.Occasional mondegreen
Mondegreen
A mondegreen is the mishearing or misinterpretation of a phrase as a result of near homophony, in a way that gives it a new meaning. It most commonly is applied to a line in a poem or a lyric in a song...
errors may be seen in closed-captions when the computer software fails to distinguish where a word break occurs in the syllable stream. For example, a news report of a "grand parade" might be captioned as a "grandpa raid". Mondegreens in this context arise from the need for captions to keep up with the fast pace of live television broadcasts.
History
Many STTRs began their careers in the Courts and were known as Court ReportersCourt reporter
A court reporter, stenotype reporter, voice writing reporter, or transcriber is a person whose occupation is to transcribe spoken or recorded speech into written form, using machine shorthand or voice writing equipment to produce official transcripts of court hearings, depositions and other...
, where the system was used to record proceedings and provide transcripts when requested. The skills developed in this area have also made them invaluable in the field of communication with deaf people, as they are used to producing work with an extremely high degree of accuracy and acting with complete discretion at all times. An STTR expects to reach consistent levels of accuracy of 98% and above.