Voice to Text Task

How does the text deviate from conventions of written English?

The main thing that I noticed when reviewing the text is that it lacks punctuation. Even though I pretended to be “speaking to a friend” with natural pauses, changes in the pacing, etc., these details were not recorded by the speech to text tool. The beginning of sentences is not capitalized, and some words were randomly capitalized. An example of random capitalization is found near the end of the unedited text, where the tool automatically capitalized every word of the phrase “When September Comes Around”. I assume this is either a title of a song, movie, or book that the tool tagged automatically.

What is “wrong” in the text? What is “right”?

Majority of the words I spoke showed up as the “right” words in the text. However, without pauses or punctuations, the flow of the text looks and feels “wrong”. Ideas are meshed together. When reading through, it is unclear where one idea ends, and another begins. I also noticed that some words are missing; they were perhaps not picked up by the microphone, but I am almost certain that I did “say” them. For example, “I first started teaching” was recorded as “I first teaching” with the word “started” missing. Also, one “very wrong” but funny thing can be found about 1/3 of the way into the unedited text, where the tool recorded “graduation” as “graduate Asian”. Guess that’s kind of accurate because I am Asian. And this “mistake” is probably due to my Asian accent.

What are common “mistakes” in the text and why do you consider them “mistakes”?

The common mistakes in the text were lack of capitalization for the beginning of sentences and missing all punctuations. I consider them mistakes because those are conventions in writing that normally helps me determine where an idea begins and ends. They normally enable me to track ideas in a piece of writing. Without punctuations acting as focal points for me, I find it very difficult to locate or review specific ideas hidden within the text.

What if you had “scripted” the story? What difference might that have made?

If I had scripted the story, there will be fewer “and’s” and “so’s”. I most likely would have told another story rather than the one I did. The thoughts would hopefully be more organized as well. I was basically rambling on.

In what way does oral storytelling differ from written storytelling?

Oral storytelling is a “together” experience. Oral storytelling is relational and is best while the storyteller and listeners are sharing the same “space”. When both are in the presence of each other, the storyteller can communicate ideas with more than just words; listeners can see and feel changes in body language, facial expressions, tone, volume, pacing, etc. The storyteller can adjust the story as they go depending on the reactions of the listeners. The same can happen if the listeners hear the storyteller without seeing them, but then some elements of nonverbal communication such as body language and facial expression would be missing. Oral stories can be passed down, but each retelling builds upon the previous telling and incorporates the interpretations of subsequent storytellers who retell the story. If listeners want to recount parts of the story, they have to interrupted the storyteller, or wait until the story is retold again next time.

Written storytelling does not require the storyteller and the listener or reader to be sharing the same space or time. The reader can interpret the story on their own, while a listener could rely on someone else reading the story out loud for them. Written stories can be passed on in their exact state through generations, provided that the audience remain literate and can understand the writing. Conventions in writing help structure the presentation of ideas in a consistent manner. Everything needs to be described and shown clearly using words (adjectives, adverbs, etc.). If the listener or reader wants to recall something, they can simply locate specifics by rereading parts to recount events and ideas.