Japanese Transcription & Pitch Annotation Specialist

Role Overview Volga Partners is seeking Japanese language specialists to support a specialized speech evaluation and annotation project. This role is ideal for individuals with strong transcription skills and a deep understanding of natural Japanese pronunciation, mora structure, and pitch. You will review Japanese audio, validate and correct transcripts and Katakana pronunciation, and assign H/L pitch values at the mora level based on actual speech. The work focuses on evaluation of existing audio recordings, not one-time participation or recording. This is a remote, freelance, project-based opportunity expected to run for approximately one month, with an engagement of around 15 hours per week. Responsibilities - Review Japanese audio and verify transcript accuracy. - Correct transcription errors (omissions, additions, repetitions, and pronunciation differences). - Review mixed Kanji/Kana transcription for accuracy, punctuation, pauses, and bunsetsu boundaries. - Validate Katakana pronunciation lines to match actual spoken audio. - Apply project-specific pronunciation rules (particles, long vowels, double consonants, syllabic nasals, and contracted sounds). - Assign H/L pitch values to each mora, aligned with the pronunciation line. - Represent audible vowel lengthening with additional mora and pitch values. - Flag unclear audio for review rather than making unsupported assumptions. - Maintain consistent annotation quality and follow calibration feedback. Key Skills and Requirements Language Proficiency - Fluent or highly proficient Japanese ability. - Strong transcription knowledge and accuracy. - Ability to transcribe spoken Japanese using Kanji/Kana. - Ability to prepare or validate Katakana phonetic transcription. - Strong understanding of mora structure and pitch perception. - Ability to identify pauses, sentence endings, emotional speech, vowel lengthening, and pronunciation differences. - Attention to detail and consistent annotation judgment. Ideal Candidate Profile - Experience in Japanese speech transcription or QA. - Audio or linguistic annotation projects. - ASR transcription or speech data QA. - Japanese linguistics, phonetics, phonology, or prosody. - Speech technology or voice data projects. - Japanese language teaching. - Voice acting or narration with strong pitch perception. Work Structure - Type: Freelance / Project-Based - Duration: Approximately 1 month - Commitment: ~15 hours per week (total workload ~15 hours) - Recruitment Target: 15 resources Compensation - Rate: $18–$20 USD/hour - Payment: Processed through Deel - All project hours and assignments must be approved in advance and are based on project needs; contractors should not independently add or work unapproved hours. Qualification Assessment - Candidates will complete a short qualification assessment covering: - Japanese transcription accuracy - Katakana pronunciation validation - Mora identification and pronunciation rules - H/L pitch perception - Mora-to-pitch alignment accuracy Note: Strong performance on the practical audio portion is required before moving into production work.