When do you begin transcribing TV shows?

[Xenops]

I remember reading that our resident iguana used TV-transcripting when he was studying Portuguese. I assume other members have done so as well. My question is, at what point do you decide it's time to turn off the subtitles and try to catch things by ear? Maybe even transcribe?

Thanks in advance.

[iguanamon]

I remember reading that our resident iguana used TV-transcripting when he was studying Portuguese. I assume other members have done so as well. My question is, at what point do you decide it's time to turn off the subtitles and try to catch things by ear? Maybe even transcribe?...

Well, this is straight from the iguana himself. I didn't "transcribe", I took notes. I made a summary. I wrote down tricky phrases and/or unknown vocabulary to discuss with my online tutor during our tutoring sessions. I don't think I could transcribe an hour-long episode, but I could take extensive notes, which often included a transcription, in my own version of shorthand, with timestamps included.

I did this when I was learning Portuguese. Here's some background that people don't usually give: I already spoke Spanish to a high level before I decided to learn Portuguese. So, I had a bit of a headstart compared to a raw beginner. Firstly, having already self-learned a second language to a high level (C1), self-learning my second language was easier. My advantage in Spanish only took me so far with Portuguese. They are separate languages for a reason.

So, I had been reading and listening to the 15 minute newscast in Portuguese from NHK World Japan for long enough to where I could understand it without a transcript. I'd been reading simple short magazine/news articles and easy books- "Robinson Crusoe" for one. I had also employed a Brazilian tutor who spoke no English at the time. We had Spanish in common, but I rarely resorted to it. Yes, it was frustrating at times. I'd say I was just at or barely near B2 in Portuguese when I started with the 79 episode novela- which my tutor used in her instruction.

At first it was quite difficult. I was in over my head. I wanted to quit! The novela was common, everyday speech at natural speed. The accent was different (northeast Brazil vs São Paulo which I was accustomed to hearing. There was unknown vocabulary- at first, there was a lot. I didn't quit.

The first episode I watched multiple times and took copious notes, I had many unknown words. At first it took us an hour and a half to go through the unknown words together before we got to me summary of what went on in the episode. The first quarter (20) episodes where the hardest. The second quarter got easier, my unknown words were fewer. The third quarter was even better. I only had around 5-8 unknown words per episode. The last quarter I often had no unknown words and was doing 4 episode reviews a week.

I was forced not to use subs- the novela did not have them. I was able to figure it out though. I could do a bit of cheating by looking at short (paragraph or maybe two sometimes) episode synopses online in Portuguese. This little bit helped a lot in the beginning.

Though the exercise was hard and I wanted to quit at first, I stuck with it and made it happen. Finishing the exercise gave me a big boost. The next series was hard but much easier. The next was even easier. Now, Portuguese is comfortable and pretty much effortless.

If I didn't have a tutor, like I didn't for Haitian Creole, I'd use a transcript as a check on my listening comprehension. I still took notes and looked up unknown vocabulary (it was a radio Bible study with a transcript- so no visual clues to help me). Of course, I could also use a parallel text when I needed it- I used Ladino in Rashi text... because I could and I could kill two birds with one resource.

So, you can do this without a tutor if you have a subtitle file (you can find them online) or an accurate transcript. It's not easy. It's hard. You'll probably want to give up. It helps to be at least mid to high B1- on the cusp of B2 or at B2 would be better. Doing this exercise as I have described will help to train listening, build vocabulary, and- if you discuss the episode in writing or speech, it will help your communication skills.

It's worth the suffering and brain-melting agony at the beginning. If you stick with it and finish the job you'll be happy with your improved language abilities. Being forced to watch and work with a series without any subtitles was definitely worth the effort involved.

[alaart]

I did it once. I had major problems with Chinese tones, couldn't detect them at all. After over one year of studying or 1.5 years or something like that, I think for two months I focused on transcribing and then my ability to detect and reproduce tones improved a lot... the ability to remember the correct tones however was lost again after a couple study breaks, so still more work to do.

I used the website https://www.yabla.com/
Basically they have a quiz mode that lets you watch a couple seconds of video and they then give you a fill-in-the-blanks subtitle where some parts are missing and you have to catch them correctly.

So you get eased in into listening and transcribing missing single words, I forgot if later you can do the whole phrase or if I did that by myself. Anyway, it's helpful and I'd recommend it if you want to work on a specific problem - but it's also very time consuming. I have never done it again.

[Le Baron]

There's so much TV that I'd feel it was a waste of time and life transcribing entire broadcasts. If the subs are in the TL anyway I feel it's better to just use them in a switch on/switch off kind of way for words/phrases you just can't make out, somewhat like Iguanamon was doing, to support repeated listening.

Maybe though a person is working with a limited number of some type of TV programme and pulling it apart? I've done that. I don't think there's any sense in punishing yourself though. I've sometimes watched with the subtitles then without and vice-versa. The first is easier, but I like to test myself with just the blind listening first.

My answer to the actual question is: never.

[CaroleR]

I started to transcribe a 22-minute TV show once. Hours later I'd done about 7 minutes worth and I wanted to stab my eyes out.

I've sometimes watched with the subtitles then without and vice-versa. The first is easier, but I like to test myself with just the blind listening first.

Quel coincidence. I've just started doing this. The with/without, I mean. Although, I may try the vice-versa at some point.

My answer to the actual question is: never.

Same.

It'd be one of those soul-destroying experiences. Second probably only to talking to yourself in a foreign language.

Really? I love talking to myself in a foreign language. It's the only time I'm fluent.

[Le Baron]

Really? I love talking to myself in a foreign language. It's the only time I'm fluent.

I actually laughed out loud at that. It's true. I also have a great accent when I talk to myself or a cat.

[DaveAgain]

My question is, at what point do you decide it's time to turn off the subtitles and try to catch things by ear? Maybe even transcribe?

With French I found it difficult to find programmes with subtitles, so I listened without subtitles from the start. I didn't do any transcription, but I did do some shadowing/parroting.

With German subtitles are easily found, and I suspect I should make a diliberate effort to stop using them. I recently watched some episodes of a series with subtitles, and then some without and my comprehension dropped noticably.

With German I did so some transcription, but limited to the dialogues of a Teach Yourself course. Perhaps I should try doing some more or some shadowing?

Hedgehog.chess did mention transcribing a few episodes of a German soap.

[leosmith]

I didn't "transcribe", I took notes. I made a summary.

This makes sense, provided you truly want to understand that specific type of show. Personally, I would go after interview vlogs like Achismos if I decided to do something like this, since I'm mostly interested in real native conversation. Unfortunately though, I had the same not-so-bright idea that some others in this thread had, and tried to actually transcribe a show. Even setting aside the fact that it wasn't my type of show (a Russian sitcom), it was a terribly difficult and next to worthless experience. I'm sure it would have worked out better if I'd tried something closer to my actual level, but this experience was so negative I'll never do it again.