Shona Transcription Service

Working together with our experienced and qualified translators, voiceover artists, interpreters, audiovisual translators, transcribers and subtitlers, we offer a wide range of language services.

Available in over 200 languages within the UK and beyond, our linguists can get you heard in any language of your choice. While we do not offer a walk-in service, we are only one phone call away from discussing your language requirements.

Native-speaking Shona transcribers able to capture your spoken content.

In this digital age, accurate audio and video transcription is crucial for efficient communication and information accessibility.

Whether working from recordings of business meetings, academic lectures, interviews or the speech within video footage, transforming Shona spoken words into written text makes your material more versatile and transferrable.

Carefully prepared and accurate transcriptions allow individuals and businesses to review, analyse and understand potentially complex material however they ultimately intend to use it.

Who are our Shona transcriptionists?

Our linguists are native speakers of the audio or video material they are transcribing.

Being an audiovisual Shona transcriber requires a specific set of skills to ensure accurate and efficient conversion of spoken content into written form. These are the skills we look for and what you can expect from our vetted team of linguists:

1. Listening Skills: A Shona transcriber must have exceptional listening skills to accurately capture spoken words, even in challenging audio environments with background noise, accents, or rapid speech.
2. Language Proficiency: Strong command of the language being transcribed is crucial. This includes a deep understanding of grammar, syntax, and vocabulary to produce coherent and grammatically correct Shona transcriptions.  This is why, wherever practical, we always ask a native speaker of the source speech to carry out the work.
3. Attention to Detail: Transcribing requires a keen eye for detail to capture nuances, tone, and context accurately. Even small errors can change the meaning of a sentence, so precision is essential.
4. Typing Speed and Accuracy: Fast and accurate typing is a fundamental skill for a transcriber. The ability to keep up with the spoken word while maintaining accuracy is critical for efficiency.
5. Research Skills: Transcribers often encounter unfamiliar terms or technical jargon. Effective research skills are necessary to ensure correct spelling and usage of such terms.
6. Familiarity with Technology: Transcribers use various tools and software to enhance efficiency. Familiarity with transcription software, text editors, and audio enhancement tools is beneficial.
7. Confidentiality and Ethics: Transcribers may handle sensitive or confidential information. Maintaining confidentiality and adhering to ethical guidelines are crucial aspects of the job.
8. Adaptability: Content varies widely, from legal proceedings to casual conversations. An audiovisual transcriber must be adaptable and able to adjust their approach based on the context and content being transcribed.
9. Patience and Persistence: Transcribing can be a time-consuming and challenging task, especially with difficult audio quality, complex subject matter or frequent time coding requirements. Patience and persistence are key to producing high-quality transcriptions.
10. Continuous Learning: Language evolves and industries change. A good transcriber is always willing to learn and stay updated on Shona language trends, industry-specific terminology and new transcription technologies.

What sort of material do our Shona transcriptionists handle?

• Patient interviews
• Documentary footage
• AI software training material
• Film footage
• Investigative interviews
• Advisory Board meetings
• Academic research material
• Police interviews
• Call centre calls
• Recorded telephone calls
• Corporate meetings
• Court proceedings
• Human resources interviews
• Oral histories

How is the cost for Shona transcription calculated?

• The number of minutes in the source file(s)
• The volume (no. of minutes)
• The number of speakers
• The subject matter
• Formatting requirements
• Frequency of any time codes

Get in touch with one of our lovely project managers and they would be very happy to discuss all the available options with you. Do also take a look at the security procedures and infrastructure we already have in place to protect your data.

While you’re here… some quite interesting facts about the Shona language.

Shona is a member of the Bantu branch of the Niger-Congo language family. It is spoken by about 10.8 million people mainly in Zimbabwe, where more than 80% of the population are Shona speakers. In particular it is spoken in Harare, and in the provinces of Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West, Midlands and Manicaland. A standard written form of Shona was codified in the 1930s and revised in the 1950s. The standard written language is based on the Karanga dialect (Chikaranga), which is spoken mainly in the Midlands province in southern Zimbabwe. The first novel in Shona, Feso by Solomon Mutswairo, was published in 1957. Shona is taught in some primary schools in Zimbabwe. Courtesy of Omniglot

Where is Shona most widely spoken?