Cecile, Gouritsmond
Our Listener – Cecile, Gouritsmond
“Finding purpose and connection in the quiet rhythms of transcription and nature.“
When Cecile first discovered Way With Words, the world was still reeling from the shock of the COVID-19 pandemic. She had just been made redundant, unsure of what would come next, when a social media post about an Afrikaans transcription project caught her attention. What began as a lifeline during an uncertain time soon became something more – a space where language, focus, and meaning found new form.
“Way With Words was a lifesaver,” she says, recalling those early days. “I was desperate, but once I started, I loved the work so much that I applied to become a full-time contractor.” That moment set the course for what would become an enduring relationship.
Cecile has worked with Way With Words for three years, two years between 2020 and 2022, before rejoining the team in late 2024. Her time with the company reflects both the ebb and flow of freelance life and the deep satisfaction of doing something that feels both personal and purposeful. “Each job contains a human element,” she reflects. “No matter how straightforward the subject matter may be, there’s always something there that connects us.”
It is this awareness of humanity, she believes, that separates people from machines. AI may be fast, but it cannot hear intention, emotion, or humour. “AI cannot pick up fine nuances in speech, which, in many cases, can change the entire meaning of a sentence,” she explains. “Humans can interpret and make sense of sayings, accents and colloquialisms. An AI transcriber can simply regurgitate what it is fed.”
Her perspective is shaped by countless hours spent listening, typing, and interpreting meaning. In one recording, a long HR meeting, she found herself unexpectedly moved. For much of the file, she was simply following the discussion, unaware of what would unfold. Only near the end did the true weight of the conversation emerge: a man was being dismissed.
“Throughout the transcript, I was living in hope for a positive outcome for the man,” Cecile says. “When I realised what had happened, I cried. I felt like I shared in his feelings of devastation.” The experience reminded her that every voice, even in professional settings, carries emotion and consequence. For her, transcription is not mechanical, rather it is a form of empathy rendered in text.
Outside her home office, Cecile’s life is rooted in the natural beauty of Gouritsmond, a small coastal village surrounded by fynbos and sea air. She is deeply involved in local conservation work and speaks about it with quiet pride. “Our little village is surrounded by nature,” she says. “I’m involved with the local conservation organisation. We’re busy with the formal botanical classification of two new plant species, as well as research into a butterfly species that is only found in this area.” The patience and curiosity that guide her in transcription are mirrored in her fieldwork—each demanding attention to small details that often reveal something remarkable.
What makes a great transcriber, Cecile believes, is not just accuracy or speed but persistence. “The willingness to spend hours researching when a word or term is unclear,” she says, is what distinguishes the best from the rest. It is a habit born of both discipline and curiosity, it is a quiet determination to get things right. Every file, she adds, holds a small mystery waiting to be solved. “Most files contain a little hidden gem somewhere,” she says. “A job is like a fact-finding mission. It’s a very satisfying feeling when you ponder over a word for days, and suddenly you hit that lightbulb moment. For me, it’s usually at 2 AM.”
For Cecile, transcription is more than just work, it’s an ongoing dialogue between language, humanity, and discovery. Whether it’s identifying the emotional undercurrent of a recording or uncovering a rare butterfly species in her village, she moves through both worlds with the same patient curiosity. Her story could be described as one of quiet resilience and wonder, the kind that finds meaning in both words and wildflowers.
Our Company – Way With Words
Way With Words provides high-quality transcription, translation, and speech data services globally. With a network of dedicated human transcribers and editors, the company ensures that every recording is handled with accuracy, care, and confidentiality, because behind every voice, there’s a story worth understanding.