I would like to propose a project to get native language podcasts transcribed and put onto lingq.
The outline proposal is; to gather a group of interested learners (for each target language) to pool a weekly fund of around $2-5/week each. Each week, or otherwise agreed time period, one group member can select a native podcast of their choice to be transcribed (taking in turn, each week, for every group member).
The transcription service would be advertised on a site like elance/upwork, and regular transcribers at these sites can bid for the weekly podcast transcription work (after a while a core group of transcribers could just be used, for each language). Typically the cost is $1/min of podcast, for a quality transcription.
So a weekly cost is around $30 for a 30 minute podcast. If this was split amongst 6 or more people, then the cost is around $5 week,or less for more members (or shorter podcasts).
In addition, the original podcast provider can be asked for permission to upload the podcast onto lingq. This would then serve the wider community.
The advantage for serious learners, participating (and paying) in the podcast selection group - would be (relatively) cheap podcast transcripts, of which they would be able to access all of the transcripts (even the ones where permission to make the transcripts available on lingq is not given). They would get access to a diverse and interesting range of current podcasts and transcripts, in their target language.
As a first step, interest from group participants is sought. If interested, just post below that you are interested in joining, and what the language you would like native podcast transcripts for.
From there, various language groups can form and organise amongst themselves.
Some basic rules/process would be:
- Post below, notifying your interest, and your target language.
- When 6 or more people for a target language is formed, commence a transcript group amongst yourselves.
- Have the first person nominate a preferred podcast (minimum 20 minutes in length). Then take in turns, every week, or otherwise agreed time. A good source for podcasts is; go to itunes, change your country location to your target language, click on podcasts, and then look at new and popular native language podcasts in your target language.
- Advertise the podcast transcript work on elance (or similar site - even interested transcribers from lingq could be used). A sample advert is as follows:
"LanguageX - Transcribe Podcast
Iām learning LanguageX and Iād like you to transcribe one episode of an itunes podcast for me - the episode is 30 minutes long.
The episode link is here: xxxx. [click on āget linkā in itunes for the podcast link]
I need the entire audio transcribed, in LanguageX, using Microsoft Word. No translation is required.
Please submit your proposed price for the complete job."
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Each group member advertises, and pays for, their own transcript and distributes to the group when completed (typically it takes a day, or two, for bids to be received, and another day for a podcast to be transcribed). Where permission to upload onto lingq is received the podcast and transcript can be uploaded.
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If you want longer podcasts to be transcribed, one idea would be to break it into two parts. For example, for a 50 minute long podcast - advertise the first 25 mins, and then when your turn next arises, advertise the second 25 minutes.
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There is an element of trust required with this process. Namely that each group member will honor their turn, and the process. If a dispute arises, or a group member drops out - then the worst that will happen is that you have paid for a transcript and shared with someone who has not returned the favour. Not the end of the world, but Iām guessing things like this, or similar, could happen. However, there is a pretty strong community here, and I hope there would not be too much problem.
A bigger issue, may likely be, whether enough people will be interested in doing this.
I hope to hear from you, if you are interested.
EDIT UPDATE 2015: - these courses are an example of an end result of this process -