English Subtitles Research Articles

English Subtitling of Culture-Loaded Words in Chinese Yu Opera: Strategies and Quality Assessment

Subtitling culture-loaded words poses significant challenges for subtitlers to maintain cultural nuances and conveying intended meaning in audio-visual context. This qualitative study aimed to investigate a professional translator’s subtitling strategies for culture-loaded words in the Chinese Yu Opera Cheng Ying Rescues the Orphan and assess the quality of the translation of these words. The current study is underpinned by Pedersen’s (2011) typology of subtitling strategies and his (2017) quality assessment model. Key findings revealed that most of strategies proposed by Pedersen were employed. The study also found that the strategy of translating formal language into informal was used by the subtitler. The quality evaluation revealed that most subtitles were of high quality, with only a few minor errors. The study contributes to the growing body of knowledge in opera translation, enriching our understanding of professional translator’s subtitling strategies and the translation quality to enhance cross-cultural communication through the medium of traditional Chinese opera.

Watching subtitled videos with the sound off affects viewers' comprehension, cognitive load, immersion, enjoyment, and gaze patterns: A mixed-methods eye-tracking study.

Every day, millions of viewers worldwide engage with subtitled content, and an increasing number choose to watch without sound. In this mixed-methods study, we examine the impact of sound presence or absence on the viewing experience of both first-language (L1) and second-language (L2) viewers when they watch subtitled videos. We explore this novel phenomenon through comprehension and recall post-tests, self-reported cognitive load, immersion, and enjoyment measures, as well as gaze pattern analysis using eye tracking. We also investigate viewers' motivations for opting for audiovisual content without sound and explore how the absence of sound impacts their viewing experience, using in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Our goal is to ascertain whether these effects are consistent among L2 and L1 speakers from different language varieties. To achieve this, we tested L1-British English, L1-Australian English and L2-English (L1-Polish) language speakers (n = 168) while they watched English-language audiovisual material with English subtitles with and without sound. The findings show that when watching videos without sound, viewers experienced increased cognitive load, along with reduced comprehension, immersion and overall enjoyment. Examination of participants' gaze revealed that the absence of sound significantly affected the viewing experience, increasing the need for subtitles and thus increasing the viewers' propensity to process them more thoroughly. The absence of sound emerged as a global constraint that made reading more effortful. Triangulating data from multiple sources made it possible to tap into some of the metacognitive strategies employed by viewers to maintain comprehension in the absence of sound. We discuss the implications within the context of the growing trend of watching subtitled videos without sound, emphasising its potential impact on cognitive processes and the viewing experience.

Xinyan Yu and Max Duncan, dirs. Made in Ethiopia. 2024. 91 minutes. Amharic, Afan Oromo, Mandarin, and English with English subtitles. Dogwoof, Hard Truth Films, and Gobez Media.

Xinyan Yu and Max Duncan, dirs. Made in Ethiopia. 2024. 91 minutes. Amharic, Afan Oromo, Mandarin, and English with English subtitles. Dogwoof, Hard Truth Films, and Gobez Media.

A Study on Subtitling Translation from a Multimodal Pragmatic Perspective: A Case Study of the English Subtitles of Return to Dust

Return to Dust is an outstanding mainland Chinese film that was nominated for the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival. This paper, using the theories of conversational implicature and the relevance principle, explores the implicit meanings in the film's subtitles from a multimodal perspective. It also examines whether the subtitling translation of the film is reasonable and appropriate. The paper argues that the subtitling translation should pay more attention to the cultural context of the dialogues and the pragmatic ambiguities within the film. By doing so, it can better convey the plot and adopt more suitable translation techniques and methods.

‘That’s not what they said!' The impact of incongruities between the dialogue and intralingual subtitles on viewer experience

ABSTRACT Subtitling is often viewed as a vulnerable form of translation, subject to close scrutiny and criticism, especially by viewers who can readily assess its accuracy against the original dialogues. Today, an increasing number of viewers choose to watch audiovisual content with intralingual English-to-English subtitles although they can understand English and have no hearing impairment. In this study, we explore how such viewers, proficient in the language of the soundtrack, react towards slight incongruities between the original dialogues and the accompanying subtitles. Our participants comprised 160 individuals: 43 L1-English speakers from the UK and 52 from Australia, and 65 L1-Polish L2-English speakers. They viewed English-language videos with intralingual English subtitles, with and without incongruities, while we gauged their cognitive load, enjoyment, and comprehension. We found that incongruities led to a slightly higher cognitive load and reduced enjoyment, yet did not impact comprehension. Polish viewers did not report the highest cognitive load, nor did they exhibit the lowest levels of enjoyment or comprehension. These results and their implications are discussed within the landscape of current audiovisual translation practices.

Enraged to live: reviving Liliane de Kermadec’s Aloïse

ABSTRACT This article argues for the historiographic value of the long-neglected film Aloïse (1975). Directed by Liliane de Kermadec, Agnès Varda’s protégée, Aloïse is a biopic of Aloïse Corbaz, a Swiss governess, diagnosed in 1918 with schizophrenia and institutionalised until her death 46 years later, whose riotously erotic ‘Art Brut’, or so-called outsider art, latterly gained attention. This article re-appraises Aloïse in three ways. First, it situates Kermadec in a revisionist historiography of post-New Wave French cinema, bypassing male-centric auteurist models to explore intra-female mentoring networks, encompassing work by figures like Paule Delsol, Nelly Kaplan, Michèle Rosier and Varda. Second, the essay analyses the textual frictions between Kermadec’s deconstructed stylistic palette and the neurodivergent imaginings of Aloïse’s artmaking, in light of the diegetic patriarchal society affronted by such transgressive pursuits. Third, from a contemporary perspective, the article considers ‘intervention subtitling’ in light of the author’s efforts to revive Aloïse by creating new English subtitles that actually engage, and intensify, Kermadec’s diverse repertoire of suppressed female voices.

Pivot Subtitling on Netflix

This study examines the impact of English as a pivot language in the Turkish subtitles of Squid Game. As an integral part of global media, pivot subtitling (indirect subtitle translation) should not be understood as a response to an alleged talent crunch of subtitling professionals but rather as a deliberate policy and strategy pursued by streaming services and their language service providers to streamline subtitling workflows between non-English language pairs. The present research uncovers the multilingual nature of this practice and exposes its limitations through a case study of the Turkish subtitles of Squid Game. The findings suggest that English as a pivot language may have limitations in conveying the full range of sociopragmatic aspects present in the Korean discourse. This has implications for the social dynamics between the characters and the thematic undertones of the series. Beyond its function as a pivot language, English also serves as a dominant cultural filter that mediates Korean culture into downstream languages through an Anglo‑American lens, which may obscure the stratified facets of Korean and impose an added layer of cultural interpretation on target viewers. Lay summary When you kick back to watch the latest trending show, you may notice more non-English content topping the charts. That’s likely how you found Squid Game, which became the most-watched show in 94 countries. Like many others, you probably used subtitles in your local language to follow along because not everyone speaks Korean, right? But here’s the catch: the subtitlers of the show do not speak Korean either! Instead, they used English as a “pivot” language - meaning that the Korean dialogue was first translated into English, and then into your language. This practice is common in the industry to speed up translation due to an alleged shortage of subtitlers who can translate between non-English language combinations, like Korean and Turkish. But why should you care? Think about it. The creator of Squid Game spent 12 years bringing his vision to life. However, when going global, subtitles are just a necessary evil in the post-production stage. A step that has to be ticked, rather than a communicative goal to be achieved. If you use social media, you might have seen debates about the English subtitles of Squid Game. Now, imagine the situation for other languages. Using English as a bridge can dilute or alter important cultural and linguistic elements. For instance, when English is used as a middle step, certain Korean nuances might not fully come through in the Turkish subtitles. This can change how viewers understand the characters and the deeper themes of the series. My research highlights the need to rethink how we handle multilingual translations so that viewers worldwide can experience shows as they were truly meant to be understood. So, the next time you settle in for a binge-watch, know that you’re in good hands.

The Use of Short Clip Movie on Reading Comprehension at Higher Education

Reading is a fundamental skill that requires deliberate study and mastery in order to acquire knowledge and collect information. Conversely, videos provide an enjoyable method for both language acquisition and entertainment. The goal of this study is to investigate if watching short clip movies can enhance the reading comprehension of higher education students, who often have challenges in learning to read. The research approach employed in this study is correlation. The researcher collects data from second semester students at the English Language Education Study Program, Teacher Training and Education Faculty Universitas Muhammadiyah Kalimantan Timur. The study used a convenience sample approach to gather data. The allocation of this research is done in a convenience sampling among students belonging to a specific class. The researcher will employ a questionnaire and a test to gather data regarding the experience of watching a brief movie clip with English subtitles. The test will specifically focus on measuring reading comprehension abilities. The study findings indicate a very low correlation and a positive correlation between students' reading comprehension and using of short clip movie.

Students' Needs and Preferences for Digital EFL Learning Materials

While research on digital language learning materials has received lots of attention, there was a scarcity of studies focusing on specific locations, like Sambas in West Kalimantan, Indonesia. Located near the border of Indonesia and Malaysia, Sambas has a unique EFL learning environment influenced by its geographical location and diverse socio-economic backgrounds. Understanding students' needs and preferences in local contexts is crucial in designing culturally relevant teaching materials. This study aimed to assess the needs and preferences of students in Sambas and provided valuable insights into optimizing the utilization of digital teaching materials for English language learning. This study employed a survey research design to elicit information about current materials, the student's needs, perceptions, and preferences concerning digital materials in English students' needs and preferences, and technological resources. The participants of this study were first-year students of junior secondary school (20 students) in Sambas. The findings revealed that students need videos, movies, and songs with English subtitles as learning materials. Furthermore, the study might shape future research in developing and implementing digital EFL materials customized to the Sambas' cultural context, including local language, customs, and traditions, and their effectiveness in engaging students and improving English language acquisition.

A Study on C-E Translation of Culture-Loaded Words in the Chinese Film Chang’an from the Perspective of Transknowletology

With the continuous intercultural communication between China and Western countries, the film subtitle translation has become more important than ever before. From the perspective of transknowletology, this paper explores the culture-loaded words in the English subtitles of the film Chang’an through four categories: ecological culture-loaded words, material culture-loaded words, social culture-loaded words, and linguistic culture-loaded words, and analyzes how translators can more accurately convey the knowledge and values of these words. Through the deep analysis of the film subtitle translation, it concludes that the knowledge-transfer can facilitate translator better translate the culture-loaded words, enhance translation quality, aid in the dissemination of local knowledge to the world, and promote the global spread of Chinese traditional culture.

LeDiT – Learning with digital testimonies: Holocaust education 2.0

The decline in knowledge about World War II and the Holocaust, coupled with increasing discrimination and populism, highlights the urgent need for innovative educational approaches. Abba Naor, a Jewish Holocaust survivor, has devoted his life to sharing his experiences, emphasizing the significance of historical learning to prevent future atrocities. The project "Learning with digital testimonies" (LeDiT) seeks to preserve Naor's memories and broaden their accessibility through interactive digital testimonies.Naor's interactive digital testimony offers an immersive and easily accessible means of engaging with a Holocaust survivor, vital for future generations who will not have the opportunity for in-person interactions. Originally recorded in German, the international version with English subtitles now allows users from around the world to ask a Holocaust survivor questions and learn about their personal stories. Implications of the project extend beyond educational settings in schools, with potential applications in museums, memorials, and online platforms dedicated to Holocaust education. Ongoing research aims to understand cross-cultural and generational perspectives on Holocaust education. Thus, interactive digital testimonies not only preserve the memories of survivors but also facilitate meaningful connections to historical events, fostering empathy and collective action against discrimination. Keywords 0Holocaust, memory, testimony, chatbot, Holocaust education, audiovisual translation, subtitling, interactive digital testimony

ENGLISH VOCABULARY RETENTION ON MOVIE SERIES WITH L1 AND ENGLISH SUBTITLES: THE ROLE OF VOCABULARY LEVEL AND FREQUENCY

Regardless of its significance for language learning, the effect of a movie subtitle on vocabulary retention was rarely investigated. This study aimed to compare the impact of the subtitles in the first language (L1, Indonesian) and English as the target language on the learners’ vocabulary retention after watching seven episodes of a movie series. Sixty pre-service English teachers were divided into L1 and English subtitle groups to watch all episodes of the series in three non-consecutive days with a randomly pre-determined subtitle. They completed a vocabulary test before the experiment, immediately after the experiment, and one week after the experiment. The tests comprise words from the 2nd to 11th 1,000 level appearing at least five times across all episodes. The data were analyzed using inferential statistical analysis. The results show that vocabulary improvement was significant in both groups without any differences between groups. Still, the English subtitle group outperformed L1 subtitle counterparts for vocabulary between the 2nd and 9th 1,000 level and vocabulary appearing between five and ten times. These results suggest that movie series with both L1 and English subtitles can be used to expose students to English vocabulary, but a target language subtitle was superior for vocabulary retention. Therefore, English language learners are suggested to watch captioned English movies for maximum impact on vocabulary acquisition.

Students’ Perception of the Use of Watching Korean Dramas with English Subtitles for Vocabulary Learning

Students’ Perception of the Use of Watching Korean Dramas with English Subtitles for Vocabulary Learning

Activist subtitling narrates liminoid experiences countering ISIS post-Arab Spring—Daya alTaseh and The Bigh daddy Show

This paper examines activist subtitling practices in light of the two sociological concepts of narrativity and liminality. With particular focus on online contemporary activist communities that counter extremism, subtitling is studied as part of the cultural liminoid practices that produce and disseminate alternative narratives challenging the rigid frames of global jihadism. Launched as reactions to the repercussions of the Arab Spring and the establishment of the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, ضايعة الطاسة Daya alTaseh and ذا بيج دادي شوو The Bigh daddy Show are two activist online media initiatives that spread counter-jihadist narratives in Arabic subtitled in English. The study attempts to investigate the narratives mediated in the subtitles and their reflections of liminality. The subtitling in both initiatives is scrutinised and compared using a two-fold theoretical framework combining the socio-narrative theory in translation studies and theories on activist translation. Guided by this framework, the paper applies a descriptive qualitative analysis to data collected from observations and interviews. The data analysis reveals the distinct liminoid stories of Daya alTasehand The Bigh daddy Show as narrated in the English subtitles, pinpointing the similarities and differences between them. User interaction with both initiatives is also highlighted as a contributor to the development of the subtitling process.

Netflix English subtitling of idioms in Egyptian movies: challenges and strategies

Recently, subtitles in different languages have become more available and accessible, thanks to streaming platforms like Netflix, which provide viewers with multiple language choices, including Arabic and English. This study examines the strategies of subtitling Egyptian phraseological units, particularly idioms, into English. The parallel corpus of data under examination consists of two Egyptian movies, namely, “The Great Chinese Beans” and “The Humans and the Mongoose”. Following Baker’s taxonomy of translation strategies, the analysis showed that the examined idioms were predominantly translated through cultural substitution. The analysis also showed that there were instances of erroneous literal translation. Furthermore, several cases of mistranslation were identified, which could be attributed to a potential lack of understanding of the nuances and subtleties of the source and target cultures, as well as limitations and difficulties in finding appropriate equivalents. This study may hold significance for translation practitioners and scholars, specifically those focusing on subtitling, cultural translation, and the translation of idiomatic expressions.

The Emotional Face of Language: Sentiment Analysis of English and Korean Subtitles on Barbie

Barbie: A Touch of Magic, Eposide 5th, an English and Korean subtitled Barbie cartoon, is used in this study to investigate the relationship between language culture and emotions. Finding out how language and culture impact emotional expression and what this means for language acquisition, emotional intelligence development, and cross-cultural communication are the key objectives. An in-depth analysis was done on the emotional intonations that change between the Korean and English subtitles, as well as any possible implications for language learning. The study emphasizes the intricate connection between language and society as well as the significance of including affective components in language instruction materials. The results imply that when learning a language and acquiring cross-cultural communication skills, the degree to which an emotion is communicated matters. The study offers helpful data that can be utilized in the domains of communication techniques, translation, and language instruction. It also emphasizes how important cultural sensitivity is for developing good communication and empathy skills. The purpose of this study is to advance knowledge of the relationship between language and culture and establish the framework for further investigation into this field.

Assessing Translation of Humor in The English Subtitles of Goodbye Mr. Loser

Humor is primarily influenced by both the source and target language cultures, which poses significant challenges for translators. Given the continuous emergence of comedy movies, humor plays a crucial role in cultural expression. However, research on the assessment of translation quality of humor in movie subtitles in China remains limited. This study aims to categorize the translation techniques using Pedersen’s typology (2005, 2011) and assess the translation quality of the humorous content in the English subtitles of the Chinese comedy movie Goodbye, Mr. Loser (2015). Goodbye, Mr. Loser is one of the most successful comedy movies in China in recent years, selling 1.441 billion yuan at the box office and winning an award at the China New Era International Film Festival, while also gaining a lot of attention overseas. This study analyzes the accuracy of the English subtitles based on Newmark’s (1988) framework. In his model, Newmark (1988) assesses the accuracy by looking at the accurate reflection of the semantic, contextual, register and style of the ST in TT. Additionally, it adopts a questionnaire for non-Chinese speakers following Nababan, Nuraeni and Sumardiono’s (2012) approach to assess the acceptability and readability of the English subtitles. The significance of this study lies in its potential to enhance the quality of Chinese audiovisual products, reduce language barriers, foster effective cross-culture communication, and provide a valuable reference for the humor translation in Chinese comedy movies in the future.

The Effects of Watching Authentic English Videos with and Without Subtitle on EFL Learner’s Motivation in Listening Skills at SMAN 3 Kediri

This study aims to examine the effect of watching original English videos with or without subtitles on the listening ability of EFL students at SMA 3 Kediri. This research uses quantitative methods. The research participants consisted of a group of EFL students, taken from class XII-IPS 2 at SMAN 3 Kediri. And data is collected through tests from previous listening results and questionnaires. This intervention involved exposing participants to original English-language videos in two conditions: one with English subtitles and the other without English subtitles. Motivational factors influencing student engagement with learning materials were explored through analysis of questionnaire responses. The findings show that the use of subtitles has a significant effect on students' listening abilities, while most students are motivated to watch English films. The recommendations of this research can help develop learning approaches that suit the needs of EFL students in the region.

When Saudis Stop Being Humorous: The Subtitling and Reception of Saudi Dark Humour in Masameer County

This study is designed to examine the effect that Netflix English subtitles might have on the way English-speaking viewers receive Saudi dark humour. To achieve this, the researchers analyse Netflix’s English subtitling of two episodes of the Saudi adult animation Masameer County, which is known for its humorous discussion of sensitive issues in Saudi society. This study hypothesises that, partly due to sociocultural considerations, the humorous elements found in the Saudi animation is more appreciated and understood by Saudis than English speakers. It is also hypothesised that the inaccurate translation of specific humorous elements by the non-Saudi subtitler further aggravates the difficulty English-speaking audiences understanding the animation’s dark humour. To assess these hypotheses, the active role of the subtitler is considered. This is achieved by employing the sociological lens of habitus developed by sociologist Pierre Bourdieu. To understand the subtitler’s habitus, the subtitler was interviewed to reveal the personal/social factors that affected her translation’s decisions regarding specific humorous scenes. The outcome of these decisions is assessed by examining their reception by English-speaking viewers. A questionnaire was conducted with English-speaking viewers asked to watch the two episodes of Masameer County under examination. The questionnaire shows that the English-speaking viewers did not receive the Saudi humour with all its sociocultural associations. The findings reveal that the subtitler’s habitus exerted powerful effects on her translational choices, which led to a loss of the Saudi humorous sense in the English-speaking viewers.

Renationalizing the Werebear: The Postcolonial Stakes of ‘Lokis’ (Prosper Mérimée, 1869) and Lokis (Janusz Majewski, 1970)

This article addresses the adaptation of the 1869 French novella ‘Lokis’, by Prosper Mérimée, as a feature-length film in Poland in 1970 by Janusz Majewski, from a postcolonial and cognitive cultural perspective. The production marked the story’s hundredth anniversary, but also fell within the so-called ‘Small Stabilization’ under the authoritarian Gomułka regime. A foreign literary adaptation was ‘safe’ material for coded messages, as is typical of Socialist-era Polish cinema as well as of the Gothic. The figure of the werebear can be a foil for discussing defective masculine heroism in a familiar Polish nationalist mode, but also for recuperating a changing concept of Lithuania, where the story is set, as adapted from the pro-Polish, French-origin source material in a self-orientalizing process. This adaptation thus bespeaks a hidden and specifically cultural imperialism. Struggles over the origins, membership, and ownership of Polish culture are visible through certain innovations in Majewski’s work, including both new literary inclusions and the film’s English subtitling. While the film as received in Polish is not an unalloyed national self-projection, on Poland’s part, as a nuance-free historical subject, its packaging for global Anglophone audiences at least tries to suggest otherwise.