Realtime Captioning Techniques Flashcards

When preparing for a realtime captioning assignment, why should a captioner request speaker word lists in advance?

Answer: To add specialized terms and names to the dictionary before the session begins

Pre-loading speaker names, technical terms, and acronyms into the CAT dictionary prevents untranslated strokes during the live session.

What effect does speaking pace variation have on realtime captioning output?

Answer: Rapid speech increases the risk of dropped words; slow speech can cause latency buildup

Very fast speech increases the likelihood of missed strokes while very slow speech can cause caption text to visually lag behind the display.

Which scenario best describes a situation requiring 'verbatim' realtime captioning?

Answer: A legal deposition where every word, including false starts and fillers, must be captured

Legal proceedings require verbatim captioning to preserve the complete record, including false starts, repetitions, and filler words.

What is the role of a 'scopist' in the realtime captioning workflow?

Answer: A professional who edits and proofreads the transcript after the realtime session

A scopist is a specialized editor who reviews the rough realtime transcript and corrects untranslated strokes, conflicts, and errors.

In realtime captioning, what is an 'untranslate' (also called a steno note or raw steno)?

Answer: A steno stroke that has no dictionary entry and appears as raw steno characters in the output

An untranslate is a steno stroke with no matching dictionary entry, displaying as raw steno symbols rather than readable English.

Which factor most significantly affects the quality of a realtime feed sent over the internet to remote viewers?

Answer: Internet connection stability and bandwidth at the captioner's location

A stable, high-bandwidth internet connection ensures the realtime text feed transmits without drops or delays to remote viewers.

Why is it important for a realtime captioner to use a 'global' find-and-replace after a session rather than fixing errors one by one?

Answer: Global replacements correct all instances of a repeated error at once, saving time

Using a global find-and-replace fixes every instance of the same mistranslation in one step, dramatically speeding up the editing process.