Tip on using transcripts


Generally speaking, higher-level learners of English (B1+) can improve the accuracy of their language when they are able to notice and find out for themselves the bits they need to improve, e.g. grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, spelling, etc. This is why recording your speaking and then scripting it is one foolproof way of taking your English to the next level.

When you speak, you don’t always capture every slip or error. When you record and listen to yourself, you’ll be able to find out some slips and errors. When you write down what you’ve said word for word, you can see even more of what needs to be changed / improved.
 
Here are 4 major points to look at when you study your own transcripts:

  • Subject-verb agreement. Do all verb forms agree with their subjects? i.e. singular subject + singular verb and plural subject + plural verb. Notice however that an ‘s’ marks the majority of plural nouns (but bear in mind irregular plurals like children, etc). In the present simple, an ‘s’ marks a singular verb.

  • Reference. Make sure you’ve used the right pronouns, and that you have used pronouns correctly.

  • Verbs. Have you used all verbs appropriately? i.e. you used the present simple when talking about habits or usual activities (things that are true all the time), the past simple when referring to events in a finished past time, etc.

  • Collocations. Have you used the right words together? E.g. the right prepositions with the right verbs/adjectives, the right verbs with the right nouns, the right adjectives with the right nouns, etc.

My recommendation is
To work on one presentation script thoroughly (carefully, trying to review as many aspects as possible) during the time of a course (that’s one month). After you review your script once, record yourself a second time incorporating (putting in) all the improvements you could think of. Listen to yourself again? Does it sound better? Script the second recording. Review it. Make any necessary improvements. Record yourself a third time. Listen to yourself. Do you feel more satisfied? Or would another round help?

Give yourself 10 – 15 minutes every time you work on the script. It shouldn’t be a laborious task (it shouldn’t take a lot of time and effort), but it should be an ongoing process.

PS: I've written this for my B1 students.

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