The use of subtitles in speech-language therapy

Abstract

The potential use of intralingual subtitling within the field of language teaching has been widely discussed for some years now. Originally created for the provision of translation and media accessibility, subtitling technology has proven to be particularly useful in terms of improving literacy, reading, writing and oral skills in various types of learning scenarios. This article offers a comprehensive multidisciplinary approach to subtitles in the fields of Audiovisual Translation and Speech-Language Therapy. A brief review of pedagogical subtitling will be outlined. The focus will then be placed on one type of speech sound disorder that was selected in order to develop a prototype. The first part summarises the main features of the speech sound disorder under study. Examples of the different types of subtitles used to address this disorder will also be presented. In the second part, the various types of subtitling will be explained further, taking into account their formal parameters and purposes, as well as the technological support required. Finally, some overall conclusions will be set forth on the effectiveness of certain types of subtitles to improve language skills in users with speech-language disorders.