Transcription Practice

Transcription 1 (Text from Move on Elementary)

A: Hi!
B: Hello. What are you doing?
A: Well, I’m still at the supermarket. I’m waiting to pay.
B: Could you get me some beer? I forgot to put it on the list.
A: OK. How much?
B: A pack of 12 cans.
A: OK. Fine. Do we need anything else?
B: No, that’s all, I think. See you soon.
A: Bye.

→ Focus on weak forms

Transcription 2 (Adapted text from Move on Elementary)

A: Good morning.
B: Good morning. A ticket to Oxford, please.
A: Single or return?
B: Return, please.
A: That’s £15.50. The next train leaves from platform two in 20 minutes.
B: Thank you.
A: Ah, excuse me, where does the train from London arrive?
B: It depends. The non-stop train arrives at platform 1. Is that the one you are waiting for?
A: Yeah, I believe so, thanks anyway.

→ Focus on Voice Agreement Rule

Transcription 3 (Adapted text from English for Meetings)

A: Good to see you again, Steve.

B: Hello, Paula. Good to see you.
A: How are you settling into your new job?
B: Well, it’s a lot of work but I’m really enjoying it.
A: That’s great! Steve, let me introduce my colleague, Andre Jacob.
C: Hello, Steve. I’m Andre. How do you do?
B: How do you do. Andre? I think I’ve spoken to you a few times on the phone.
C: That’s right! It’s nice to meet you in person.
B: It’s nice to meet you.

→ Focus on intonation and accented syllables

Transcription 4 (Adapted text from English for meetings)

A: Hello. Is that Charles Armitage?
B: Yes, that’s right.
A: Hello, Mr. Armitage, it’s Caroline Jones here.
B: Oh, hello.
A: Mr. Armitage, I’m terribly sorry. I’m afraid I have to ask a favour of you. Can we reschedule our
meeting next week? Something has come up. Unfortunately I can’t get out of it.
B: That’s all right. Do you have another time in mind?
A: Well… Could we postpone the meeting until Wednesday at the same time? Would that suit
you?
B: Let me see… yes, that would be fine.
A: Great. Thank you, Mr. Armitage. Sorry to inconvenience you. It couldn’t be helped, I’m afraid.
B: Don’t worry, Caroline, that’s fine. Oh, do you mind if we meet over here?
A: No, not at all. Well, I’ll see you on Wednesday then.
B: See you then. Bye for now.

→ Focus on questions (auxiliary verbs/ intonation)

Transcription 5 (Adapted text from English for meetings)

A: It’s more than clear to me. Hiring these employees has not really worked. We are losing clients
and our production has not improved in any way. We should dismiss them and start a new
selection process as soon as possible.
B: Hold on, hold on. Can I make a point here?
A: Sorry, but I haven’t finished what I was saying. Look, we are not reaching our output targets
because of this problem. Why do we have this problem? Because we’ve hired the wrong staff.
B: Yeah, but as I wanted to say, we’ve already invested quite a lot to train these employees. Since
they received the training, we have not given them the chance to show how much they have
learned. We can’t just fire them out of the blue.
C: Sorry to interrupt but I’m afraid I don’t quite agree with you.
B: Could I just finish? We can’t just get rid of these people as if they meant nothing. It’s not fair.
C: Are you finished?
B: Yes, sorry.
C: I just wanted to say that we are missing the point here. Shouldn’t we reconsider the way we are
marketing our products? Or how people see us in the market? Putting all the burden on the staff is
only one side of the thing, I believe.

→ Focus on Voice agreement rule

Transcription 6 (Text from FCE Passkey)

A change may be as good as a rest but when it comes to holidays more and more people are
discovering that home exchange swapping your house with another family is a good deal better
than a package for a start it’s a financial winner compared with the daunting cost of even the most
reasonable fortnight in the sun in a hotel or rented apartment you will be paying literally nothing
for accommodation there’s also the pleasantly reassuring feel that both houses are therefore
occupied and not an open invitation to burglars and vandals

→ Focus on pauses (Chunking)

Transcription 7 (Text from FCE Passkey)

You asked for a few suggestions about where to go shopping when you come to Cambridge next
month. Well, this is really quite a small town but there are two main areas with a good range of
shops. First, there are a lot of shops in the city centre by itself. A lot of them stock up clothes and
gifts which visitors like to take away as souvenirs. Also, there are some big department stores and
a really great open-air market which is good for fruit and vegetables but sells a good range of
things, from hats to second-hand books at good prices. The other area is a modern shopping
complex about 15 minutes’ walk from the centre, especially popular if the weather is bad.

→ Focus on spelling and vowel production

Transcription 8 (Adapted text from FCE Star)

In most hotels all over the world, you will not find a room with the number thirteen, and if the
hotel is skyscraper, it will go from floor twelve to floor fourteen. The superstition that thirteen is
unlucky can be traced back to a Scandinavian myth. There were originally only twelve gods and
then along came the god Loki to make thirteen. Loki was mischievous god who brought suffering
to people. Nowadays, people avoid planning important events on Friday 13 th (or Tuesday 13th in
some cultures), and if things go wrong on that day, like the loss of wallet or a key, they blame it on
the date.

→ Focus on spelling and vowel production

Transcription 9 (Adapted text from FCE Star)

Many people in my country are still superstitious, especially people who live in the country or
older people. However, quite a few young people also believe in superstitions. Are they illusions
or the product of imagination? One common superstition is called the evil eye, this means if you
say something good about someone, you will bring them bad luck. If you tell parents their child is
very beautiful or intelligent, and then something bad happens to that child, the parents will blame
you and say surely you gave it the evil eye.
Other beliefs are linked to objects which are supposed to bring good luck; many people take a
rabbit’s foot whenever they go on a journey, for instance. Many of these assumptions are passed
on from generation to generation. I don’t particularly believe in them, they are just part of a
society’s traditions.
 → Focus on spelling and some consonant sounds

Transcription 10 (Adapted text from FCE Star)

A: What advice would you give tourists to make the most of their visit to our country?
B: First of all, er…, I would say that one good way of seeing the country is to travel by train. The
trains here are quite efficient and not too expensive. If you want to get around cheaply, you
should try cycling.
A: Wow, that’s interesting! And what about accommodation? Is it very dear?
B: Not that much, the problem is… the summer is usually full. If you are stuck, try asking for rooms
in private houses, you may have to share the bathroom, though.
A: What activities would you recommend?
B: When visiting the capital city, museums are a must, and all the government buildings and old
churches are worth seeing, of course. In the evenings, you may go to a traditional pub where you’ll
be able to try our popular local beer.
A: Sounds as if none of it can be missed, can it?

→ What pronunciation aspect would you highlight from this text? Choose one and be ready
to explain it in class.