Voice Writing – Associate Degree

Area of Study: Court Reporting Technologies
Degree/Certificate: Associate of Applied Business degree in Captioning and Court Reporting

What is Voice Writing?
Voice writing is the term applied to the act of speaking into a microphone or mask connected to a computer and utilizing a software program that translates your spoken words into text.  This utilizes the technology known as speech recognition. Students learn to "train" a software program to recognize their voice, shortened voice codes -- such as "krong" for correct me if I am wrong -- and have that speech translated into text and displayed on computer and television screens.  At Tri-C, voice writing students learn to use Dragon speech recognition software along with Eclipse computer-access realtime translation software to accomplish this capturing of audio and presentation of those words into text.

Career Outlook:
This technology is being used across the country in a variety of ways, including court reporting, where in many states voice writers work in courtrooms and in law offices at depositions and other judicial settings.  In addition, voice writers work as CART (Computer-Access Realtime Translation) providers presenting the words of teachers and students in a classroom setting for deaf clients, as broadcast captioners, and transcriptionists.

Responsibilities of a Voice Writer:
According to the National Verbatim Reporters Association, (www.nvra.org), potential voice writers must study all of the elements of court reporting including English grammar skills, document production and word processing, legal, medical, and technical terminology, and proper legal procedure. In addition, students of voice writing must learn to listen and speak at the same time, while also identifying speakers and describing peripheral activities in the courtroom or deposition room.

About Tri-C's Program:
We teach a realtime voice writing program. This means that students learn to train and manage their speech recognition and court reporting software so that their spoken words can instantly be displayed correctly on computer screens in English. 

• Voice writing uses Dragon speech recognition and Eclipse CAT software.
• Individuals can work in all areas of the country with voice writing technology skills.
• Individuals can work as court reporters in limited states with voicewriting technology.  (See www.nvra.org for a complete list of states that allow voice writers to practice in their judicial systems.)
• Voice writing students must take all CCR classes online.
• Voice writers can be employed as judicial court reporters, CART providers, captioners, transcriptionists
• All CCR students adhere to the same strict standards for excellence and achievement of realtime writing skills.
• Voice writing students begin by taking Intro to Voice Writing, Voice Writing I, II, and III.  Beyond those four courses, all CCR students follow the same course sequences.