Test Your French Menu Vocabulary: A Must-Watch Exercise for Transcribers
If you’re a professional transcriptionist, you know that recognizing foreign terms—especially those used in English with their original spelling and pronunciation—can be a real challenge. In our latest video, we tackle a specific and rather delicious subcategory: French culinary vocabulary. These are terms that crop up frequently in English-language menus, yet they often trip up even experienced transcribers. This short exercise is not only a great vocabulary refresher, but also a chance to train your ear for French expressions that have migrated into English with minimal change.
Participate in today’s transcription practice here: YouTube
The format is interactive: you’ll hear a native-English speaker (a silver service waiter from Canada, no less) using a sentence that contains a French expression. Your task is to identify the French word or phrase, then reflect on its literal meaning and English cognates. These connections are crucial for transcriptionists, as they provide memory hooks and context clues that make recognition quicker and more reliable.
The video features 13 such expressions. Each is explained with its literal translation, meaning in context, and English linguistic relatives—vital tools for improving accuracy when transcribing anything from restaurant reviews to travel documentaries.
Not only will this video boost your transcription vocabulary but it also gives you a linguistic tour of French cuisine without leaving your desk. Plus, you’ll get a quick tip on how the FTW Transcriber’s timestamp flexibility can save you time when aligning your transcript to non-zero-based media. So grab a croissant, click play, and train up your linguistic palate!
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