| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Poll: Do you use speech recognition software when you translate? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you use speech recognition software when you translate?".
View the poll results »
| | | | Ana Vozone 
Local time: 13:15
Member (2010)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
I had FreeSpeech, from Philips, over 15 years ago. It was simple and worked beautifully. Unfortunately, it quickly became unsupported by new Microsoft software and Philips never seems to have updated it. When I bought a new desktop computer, I was unable to reinstall FreeSpeech.
I googled Freespeech just now and it seems Philips is developing a similar App now, SpeechLive, but I do not know whether it integrates with MS Word on a computer.
Apple apparently has speech re... See more I had FreeSpeech, from Philips, over 15 years ago. It was simple and worked beautifully. Unfortunately, it quickly became unsupported by new Microsoft software and Philips never seems to have updated it. When I bought a new desktop computer, I was unable to reinstall FreeSpeech.
I googled Freespeech just now and it seems Philips is developing a similar App now, SpeechLive, but I do not know whether it integrates with MS Word on a computer.
Apple apparently has speech recognition software installed on its Macs, but I do not own one...
[Edited at 2016-11-05 08:50 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | DZiW (X)
Ukraine
English to Russian
+ ...
I often work in a noisy environment, late at night, or with NDA papers, so it's no option for me, alas.
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When I worked in-house all the translators were invited to try for one or two weeks an experimental version of some speech recognition software (can't remember which) and I hated it!
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neilmac
Spain
Local time: 14:15
Spanish to English
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| Yes, sometimes | Nov 5, 2016 |
In fact, nowadays I tend to use Dragon Naturally Speaking on most jobs. I started using it a few years ago and I find I can translate more quickly with it, with less strain on my wrist and back.
I believe the new versions of Windows/MS office have a built-in speech recognition feature, but if it's anything like their other so-called improvements, I wouldn't touch it with the proverbial bargepole. Unfortunately, I've had technical issues since "upgrading" to the Windows 10 OS and MS Offic... See more In fact, nowadays I tend to use Dragon Naturally Speaking on most jobs. I started using it a few years ago and I find I can translate more quickly with it, with less strain on my wrist and back.
I believe the new versions of Windows/MS office have a built-in speech recognition feature, but if it's anything like their other so-called improvements, I wouldn't touch it with the proverbial bargepole. Unfortunately, I've had technical issues since "upgrading" to the Windows 10 OS and MS Office 2016. I like the Google Chrome browser, but as soon as I open up Dragon AS, Chrome crashes and all I get is a black screen. So far, I haven't been able to fix that problem.
Another issue I have with the Windows/Office so-called "upgrades" is that I can no longer work with WordfastClassic and Excel files. For jobs in Excel format, I now have to set up my old PC which has an earlier version of Office, which can handle the files no problem. As soon as I have time, I intend to install an earlier version of office on the new PC, because I see absolutely no benefits at all from my point of view in the Microsoft Office "improvements" rolled out over the past five years.
However, to get back to the matter in hand, I also find working with speech recognition software more interesting, perhaps because of the added risk of mistakes, for example homonyms/homophones, which I wouldn't normally make when manually typing my translations in the traditional manner. But at the end of the day, the biggest benefits have been less wear and tear on my ageing frame and slightly increased working output/speed, FWIW. ▲ Collapse
| | | | neilmac
Spain
Local time: 14:15
Spanish to English
+ ...
| Plus ça change | Nov 5, 2016 |
Ana Vozone wrote:
Unfortunately, it quickly became unsupported by new Microsoft software ...
[Edited at 2016-11-05 08:50 GMT]
Surprise surprise...
| | | | Thayenga
Germany
Local time: 14:15
Member (2009)
English to German
+ ...
| On certain jobs | Nov 5, 2016 |
Since I brought Dragon Naturally Speaking a few years ago, I use it on larger jobs, e. g. screenplays, novels, etc. Sometimes the program misunderstands, and the outcome is...somewhat hilarious.
The one project type it's not very helpful are subtitles, mainly due to the fact that some of the dialogue "expands" over several segments, so going back to correct it is not worth the hassle. Other than this, I love my DNS.<... See more Since I brought Dragon Naturally Speaking a few years ago, I use it on larger jobs, e. g. screenplays, novels, etc. Sometimes the program misunderstands, and the outcome is...somewhat hilarious.
The one project type it's not very helpful are subtitles, mainly due to the fact that some of the dialogue "expands" over several segments, so going back to correct it is not worth the hassle. Other than this, I love my DNS.
[Edited at 2016-11-05 10:37 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Mario Chavez (X)
Local time: 08:15
English to Spanish
+ ...
Although Thayenga uses DNS for different projects, I've used DNS extensively and exclusively for Spanish transcription (medical reports for clinical trials) projects since 2012. The stream of such jobs has almost dried up for me in 2016, but my DNS version (12.5 for Spanish and English, premium edition) was worth the expense (about $150).
Blues:
a) Dragon NaturalSpeaking includes a headphone-microphone set. Just throw it away and buy a quality one. Since my desktop computer h... See more Although Thayenga uses DNS for different projects, I've used DNS extensively and exclusively for Spanish transcription (medical reports for clinical trials) projects since 2012. The stream of such jobs has almost dried up for me in 2016, but my DNS version (12.5 for Spanish and English, premium edition) was worth the expense (about $150).
Blues:
a) Dragon NaturalSpeaking includes a headphone-microphone set. Just throw it away and buy a quality one. Since my desktop computer has an excellent sound card, I use the sublime Audio Technica USB2020 cardioid microphone, which I purchased used for around $50 in 2015.
b) Hilarious results in transcribing some Spanish words, which I've tweeted oftentimes.
c) Reinstalling DNS is easy, but you have to manually replace your DNS profiles
d) If your computer dies and goes to trash heaven, avoid having to retrain DNS by keeping a backup of your DNS profiles
e) The DNS profile files grow exponentially to several hundred MBs of hard drive space. Plan accordingly. ▲ Collapse
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neilmac
Spain
Local time: 14:15
Spanish to English
+ ...
[quote]Mario Chavez wrote:
Blues:
a) Dragon NaturalSpeaking includes a headphone-microphone set. Just throw it away and buy a quality one.
LOL, that rings a bell. I actually tried out the DNS headphone last night, as I had 2 PCs set up so that I could work on Excel files and WF Classic and couldn't be bothered unplugging the set I had on my main PC. They actually worked fine for translating, but I could barely hear anything through the earpiece and the headgrip is really uncomfortable.
NB: I find jackplug input headsets better for dictating, because the USB type tend to get worn out quicker (and they're more expensive).
[Edited at 2016-11-05 11:42 GMT]
| | | | | I'd like to try it | Nov 5, 2016 |
Anything to get away from the hand-eye coordination issues I've been having. I don't make typing mistakes when I'm not looking at the screen, but when I'm looking at the screen my mind is always ahead of my fingers and what I'm looking at. Other people have told me they have the same experience. That's why I hate CAT tools. You have to look at the screen all the time. [I typed this whole entry with my eyes closed - no mistakes; if I open my eyes, my speed slows down and I start making typos.]
| | | | Luiz Barucke
Brazil
Local time: 09:15
Spanish to Portuguese
+ ...
| I think I could not | Nov 5, 2016 |
Regardless of solutions created by this kind of software - and problems generated by these solutions - I consider writing and speaking totally different creation processes. I need to write in order to think how to make a written copy. No dragon or any other mythological creature (or god) could do it for me.
I'm not saying it's totally useless... I'm saying it's useless for me.
| | | | | I need to write in order to think how to make a written copy | Nov 5, 2016 |
Luiz Barucke wrote:
Regardless of solutions created by this kind of software - and problems generated by these solutions - I consider writing and speaking totally different creation processes. I need to write in order to think how to make a written copy. No dragon or any other mythological creature (or god) could do it for me.
I'm not saying it's totally useless... I'm saying it's useless for me.
That’s one of the reasons I hated it, the other being that I had to speak louder and slower than usual and avoid all bursts of speech. It was monotonous and boring when in general I take pleasure in translating…
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Kristina Cosumano (X)
Germany
Local time: 14:15
German to English
| OK, explain it to me as if I were 5 | Nov 5, 2016 |
I am mildly curious about using speech recognition software but I can't for the life of me figure out at what stage it is to be used. When I read my source text — which is German — I have to do a bit of shuffling of phrases into another order to make it flow in English. There are parts of verbs that go at the very end of sentences, sometimes quite a way down from their roots. I need that stage where I reshuffle the word order using words on a screen.
Does DNS or any other type of this... See more I am mildly curious about using speech recognition software but I can't for the life of me figure out at what stage it is to be used. When I read my source text — which is German — I have to do a bit of shuffling of phrases into another order to make it flow in English. There are parts of verbs that go at the very end of sentences, sometimes quite a way down from their roots. I need that stage where I reshuffle the word order using words on a screen.
Does DNS or any other type of this software fit into that process in any way? ▲ Collapse
| | | | Mario Chavez (X)
Local time: 08:15
English to Spanish
+ ...
| Mildly curious? :) | Nov 5, 2016 |
Kristina Cosumano wrote:
I am mildly curious…
Sorry, but no 5-year-old is “mildly curious”
Seriously, the only value I see in using Dragon NaturallySpeaking is for transcription work: I read the Spanish text and DNS prints it on the active (open) Word file I have. Once I finish the transcription, I can use a CAT tool of my choice (Déjà Vu X3 is my choice) to translate the Word file.
I wouldn't recommend using DNS for active translation as one has to rethink the syntax; in that scenario, DNS is an encumbrance rather than an aid.
| | | | Kristina Cosumano (X)
Germany
Local time: 14:15
German to English
Mario Chavez wrote: Sorry, but no 5-year-old is “mildly curious”
Well Mario, I didn't say I was 5, I asked you to explain it to me as if I were.
But thanks, that does confirm my suspicion that I would not benefit from it so much. I suspect it works better between languages with similar word orders. Dragon does seem to be getting a lot of promotion right now.
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