Subtitled Films Research Articles

Measuring psychological immersion through cardiovascular response measures in subtitled films

Abstract This paper presents a conceptual replication of Kruger et al.’s (2017a) study, investigating the utility of heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) indicators as objective measurements of psychological immersion in subtitled audiovisual products. The study employed a quasi-experimental design in ten participants viewing video clips with and without subtitles, while their physiological responses were monitored. Results suggest lower arousal levels in both conditions compared to baseline, with statistically significant differences observed in mean HR, mean RR, and RMSSD for the subtitles condition. While most inferential tests did not yield significant outcomes, descriptive trends indicate decreased arousal relative to the baseline. They also show increased arousal throughout the clip for most indicators and opposing trends for Mean HR, RMSSD and LF/HF between the two conditions. Methodological suggestions include using multiple data points for HR and HRV analysis, exploring ultra short-term measurements, selecting self-contained clips for viewing, and considering post-task baselines for a more accurate resting state representation. Despite limitations due to the small sample size, this study underscores the potential of HR and HRV as measures of immersion in translated audiovisual products, emphasising the need for larger sample sizes in future research to enhance statistical power and generalizability.

The Effect of English Subtitle in Movies to Improve Students’ Vocabulary in Grade 8 of SMPN 2 Airmadidi

In today's interconnected world, being skilled in English is incredibly important. It opens up better job opportunities, and wider educational options, and allows participation in the global community. Therefore, inspiring students to learn English is crucial to showing them how it relates to their everyday lives. This study aims to determine the effect of English subtitles of movies on the vocabulary development of 8th-grade students in SMP Negeri 2 Airmadidi. This study adopted a preliminary experiment method. Thirty-two students participated in this targeted study. Subtitled films served as a medium to improve students' vocabulary acquisition, and vocabulary tests served as research tools. Researchers collected data through pretests, treatments, and posttests. Data were statistically analyzed and quantitatively described using SPSS 22 Edition. This study found that the mean post-test score was higher than the pre-test score (5.69 < 8.43). Also, the value of t-count is greater than the value of t-table. The results of students' scores on the post-test were higher than those on the comparison test, demonstrating the effectiveness of the treatment in improving learners' vocabulary acquisition. In summary, the use of subtitled films significantly improves students' vocabulary acquisition. This study strongly highlights that others are imaginatively exploring the use of film for a variety of abilities.

Multiphase and Multistakeholder English Translation Processes Behind Subtitling Chinese Auteur Films

The professional translation processes involved in subtitling Chinese auteur films are under-reported in audiovisual translation literature. The present study investigates the translation processes employed for Chinese films destined for an international audience with a focus on fifth- and sixth-generation directors’ films. These film auteurs depict China’s diverse cultural elements and contemporary social reality, for which English subtitles provide an essential bridge to connect to an international audience. Interview data collected from ten established Chinese-to-English translators/subtitlers, whose names are credited in the selected films, identify two remarkable features of subtitling these contemporary Chinese auteur films: Multiple phases of the translation processes employed across the filmmaking lifespan and multiple stakeholders involved in the wider translation processes beyond translators/subtitlers. Actor-Network Theory is used to elicit interwoven relationships among the various human and non-human actors connected to translating/subtitling activities across different stages of filmmaking. These findings confirm that translating/subtitling is not an isolated post-production task but rather permeates all filmmaking phases. This can be a key factor in contributing to overall quality, which is critical in disseminating subtitled films by some of China’s most celebrated auteurs. Lay summary The international film market has increasingly featured Chinese films, especially the works by established Chinese directors, such as Zhang Yimou, Chen Kaige, Jia Zhangke and Jia Zhangke. Their films reflect China’s cultural conventions and contemporary social reality. English subtitling is the most popular mode of translation to distribute Chinese films among the English-speaking audience. However, little is known about the agents involved in translating the Chinese high-profile films and the translation processes. To fill this knowledge gap, we interviewed ten translators or subtitlers contributing to the translation of the four aforementioned directors. The collected interview data inform us that many other stakeholders (e.g. directors, producers, screenwriters, distributors and subtitle editors) play a role in the shaping of the final English subtitles shown on the screen, and translation of Chinese films takes place throughout the whole filmmaking process (i.e. film development, pre-production, post-production, distribution and exhibition). A sociological framework is adopted to demonstrate the interwoven relationships among the various human (i.e. translators/subtitlers and other stakeholders) and non-human actors (i.e. accompanying materials and translation products) connected to translating/subtitling activities across different stages of filmmaking. It is argued that such a multiphase and multistakeholder process helps to improve the overall quality of Chinese film subtitling.

The Contrast of Discourse Marker “you know” with Vietnamese Translation Equivalents in Subtitled Film “Mune – Chiến Binh Mặt Trăng”

Currently, the number of students participating in the film translation market in Vietnam is increasing. In English-Vietnamese subtitled films, the discourse marker appears with a fairly high frequency. The discourse marker is one of the key elements in language, especially in communication. With the connecting function, the discourse marker conveys many various meanings in the many contexts in which it is used. In this article, we mention an overview of the discourse marker and conduct specific research of the discourse marker “you know”. With these reasons, the article compares this discourse marker in English with the translated equivalents in the dialogues of the characters of the English-Vietnamese subtitled movie: “Mune- Chiến binh mặt trăng”. By analyzing the context that “you know” is used in the above film, we want to find out the similarities and differences in translating this discourse marker in the communication from English to Vietnamese.

Cinéma-monde and subtitling

This article examines the relationship between the notions of cinéma-monde and translation, with a particular focus on subtitling. The article provides a discussion of the semionarrative nature of subtitles specifically in the context of cinéma-monde, argues that subtitled films constitute hybrid spaces where languages come into contact, and that through this intermingling produce a text that is more than the sum of its parts. Subtitles open up spaces where translingual writing emerges, which in turns has important implications on the way we think of translation and of its relationship with creative processes. The article then uses the four principles identified by Marshall (2012) to examine ways in which subtitles are used in cinéma-monde films.

How existing literary translation fits into film adaptations: the subtitling of neologisms in Harry Potter from a multimodal perspective

Existing literature on adaptation studies focuses primarily on analysing film adaptations from an intralingual and monomodal rather than an interlingual and multimodal perspective. To fill this gap, this study addresses the relatively under-researched issue of applying existing literary translation to the subtitles of film adaptations by the film subtitle producers. Concentrating on the Chinese subtitling of neologisms in the Harry Potter films (2001–2011) and by drawing on the Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL)-informed multimodal framework, the aim is to investigate how subtitles and other multimodal resources interact to make meanings and their potential effects on the subtitled films when the film subtitle producers apply literary translation to subtitles of film adaptations. The results show that the application of literary translation to subtitled films by the film subtitlers may run the risk of downplaying some crucial elements of the original, such as the relationship between the fictional world and the audience. This study highlights the importance of considering more than just the literary elements when analysing film adaptations and points out broader possible areas, such as multimodality and audiovisual translation, which have only been partly recognized in adaptation studies.

Efficient Use of Linguistic and Situational Contexts for Enhanced Understanding of the Content of English Screen Subtitles

Research in the production of powerful screen subtitles receives more attention from those who are interested in movies business for the benefit of viewers worldwide. Arguably viewers hardly benefit from screen subtitles due to the inconsistency between scenes and the pragmatic meaning of subtitles. Specifically, the study aims to examine the extent to which understanding pragmatic meaning of screen subtitles largely depends on understanding linguistic and situational contexts elements. The force of context is assumed to have powerful effect interpretation of the source text. Both descriptive and experimental methods were adopted. These included a test and paper-and-pencil-questionnaires where participants provided their impressions about the effect of context in eliminating pragmatic meaning of screen subtitles. Participants were experienced viewers of subtitled films. Results showed that linguistic forms and contextual cues together form a powerful element in understanding the pragmatic meaning of screen subtitles. Results also revealed that communicative translation fits the screen translation giving more attention to the effect of context. The association of context and communicative translation makes subtitles globally more economical and intelligible. Context forms a central pragmatic element for film language to be intelligible. Keywords—Interpretation, context-dependent-interpretation, International context, scenes, linguistic context DOI: 10.7176/JLLL/92-03 Publication date: October 31 st 2022

Filmes cortados e legendas manipuladas: A censura de filmes estrangeiros durante o Estado Novo

During the Estado Novo (1933-1974) in Portugal, many films were banned, others mutilated through cuts to images and scenes, Subtitles were suppressed and manipulated. In many cases, what reached the public was an ideologically clean version of the original. Adopting a descriptive-comparative approach, the CENSUB model analyses the censorship of subtitled films on three levels. First, historical, political and ideological aspects, as well as regulations and general censorship procedures in the target culture are explored on the metalevel. Then, the documents kept at the Torre do Tombo National Archive in Lisbon, which include the correspondence between censors and distributors, as well as the subtitles typed on paper, are examined at the macrolevel. Finally, at the microlevel, the censors’ instructions and the subtitle lists are analysed and compared with the original film, revealing the extent of the alterations made to a film by the translator.

IMPACT OF USING ENGLISH SUBTITLED MOVIES IN STUDENTS’ SPEAKING ABILITY

This study develops a different way to teach language, namely by using subtitled films as a medium. Here the researcher uses cartoons and English subtitles. The purpose of this study was to determine the speaking ability of the experimental and control groups, as well as to determine the significant effect of using English subtitled films on the speaking ability of class XI students at SMA Negeri Ngoro for the academic year 2020/2021. The design of this study was a quasi-experimental with nonrandomized control group design, pretest-posttest design. There is a significant effect of using film subtitles as a medium in teaching speaking. Teaching speaking using film subtitles as a medium is more effective than teaching speaking using film. So, the researcher can conclude that English subtitled films have an impact on students' speaking ability.

Subtitles as a Tool to Boost Language Learning and Intercultural Awareness?

There is growing concern about the steep decline in language learning in the UK over the last 20 years. A simple, inexpensive way to boost children’s learning of other languages in the UK and indeed in other countries could be to increase their exposure to subtitled audiovisual (AV) content in other languages. There is considerable evidence that subtitled AV content can aid children’s acquisition of other languages, enhance their literacy skills, and foster intercultural awareness. However, little attention seems to have been paid thus far to eliciting the opinions and experiences of children themselves of watching subtitled films and television programmes in other languages. This study aims to contribute to filling the gap. A cohort of 17 children aged 8-9 years took part in interviews and participatory workshops and shared their views and experiences of viewing AV content with interlingual subtitles. Although the sample size is small, the findings of this study support the proposal of providing children with greater access to subtitled AV content in other languages, since the children’s responses to the idea were overwhelmingly positive, and many felt that this would help them to learn languages and about other cultures in a fun way. Lay summary In the UK, the number of children and young people studying languages has fallen sharply over the last 20 years. This is causing a lot of concern, because learning other languages is very beneficial, especially for children and young people. Studying languages can improve their communication skills and open up other cultures and job opportunities to them. Language skills are also important for inclusion and wellbeing in our increasingly multilingual societies and for international relations and trade. Many studies have shown that watching videos in other languages with subtitles can boost children’s language learning and help them learn to read in their home language. But few researchers have asked children themselves about their opinions on reading subtitles. To help fill this gap, I held interviews and workshops with 17 children aged 8–9 years about their views and experiences of watching subtitled videos in other languages. Their answers were very positive. Many felt it helps them learn languages and about other cultures in a fun way. As a result, I have concluded that a cheap, simple way we can help children to learn other languages is by making it easier for them to watch more TV programmes and films in other languages with subtitles.

Pedagogical devices

Abstract The “partial translation” of Inuktitut-language lyrics in the Indigenous film Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner (directed by Zacharias Kunuk, 2001) has been interpreted as a means of challenging outsiders to understand the film “emically,” meaning from insiders’ perspectives. On this interpretation, Atanarjuat is linguistically exclusionary, because the challenge of partial translation effectively excludes most outsiders from a full understanding. But given the problem of language shift in Indigenous communities, we should not expect Indigenous films to be linguistically exclusionary in general, or they would exclude young Indigenous insiders along with outsiders. We should instead expect Indigenous films to adopt an inclusionary approach to subtitling, consistent with projects of language revitalization. To see what form such an approach might take, I analyzed three Indigenous films from Taiwan in which speech in Atayalic languages is subtitled in Mandarin. Staggered over three-and-a-half decades, these three films index the subtitling approach as a function of concern about language shift. I found that all three films were fully, not partially translated, but that the two films made in a context of concern about language shift were subtitled pedagogically. The two pedagogically subtitled films are “devices” for the pedagogy of Atayal, the most widely spoken Atayalic language. This result from Taiwan suggests that a pedagogical approach might be common in the subtitling of Indigenous films in settler societies around the world.

Translation of Culture-Specific Fixed Expressions and Swear Words in Some Arabic-into-English Subtitled Films

Abstract This paper presents the concept of audiovisual translation (AVT) as it has only recently become an object of interest within the discipline of translation studies. The rise of new technologies has greatly shifted attention and focus from stereotypes of translation to technological and digital aspects of translation. This gives rise to international and intercultural communication and therefore, a dire need arises to investigate audiovisual translation that is considerably linked to socio and intercultural differences and norms. This paper intends to analyze subtitling as the most familiar type of AVT through taking into account important factors including socio-linguistic elements, cultural contexts, and stylistic considerations. The paper discusses film subtitling with the aim of exploring translator's conformity to the socio and cultural considerations when conveying the source language SL messages to the target language TL. It mainly investigates the difficulties involved in subtitling language-specific idioms and swear words. The paper reveals that AVT should be based on cross-cultural awareness and a full comprehension of the cultural aspects of both the source and target languages. The paper also concludes that handling the translation of subtitles has specific characteristics and poses challenges that entail special attention to its transfer and the translation strategies applied in this regard. المستخلص باللغة العربية يتناول هذا البحث مفهوم الترجمة السمعية البصرية کإحدى مجالات دراسات الترجمة التي لم تلق اهتماما إلا في الآونة الأخيرة. ومع ظهور تقنيات جديدة، تحول الانتباه والترکيز بصورة ملحوظة من الأشکال النمطية للترجمة إلى الجوانب التکنولوجية والرقمية للترجمة، وهذا يؤدي إلى التواصل الدولي والتواصل بين الثقافات، ولذا تدعو الحاجة لتناول الترجمة السمعية البصرية التي ترتبط بشکل کبير بالاختلافات والمعايير الاجتماعية البينية للثقافات. ويهدف هذه البحث إلى تحليل ترجمة الحوار باعتبارها أکثر أنواع الترجمة السمعية البصرية شيوعا من خلال مراعاة عدة عوامل مهمة منها العناصر الاجتماعية واللغوية والسياقات الثقافية والاعتبارات الأسلوبية. ويناقش البحث ترجمة الحوار بهدف اکتشاف مدى مطابقة المترجم للاعتبارات الاجتماعية والثقافية عند نقل رسائل لغة المصدر إلى لغة الهدف. ويفحص البحث بشکل أساسي الصعوبات التي تنطوي عليها ترجمة التعبيرات الثابتة وألفاظ السباب ذات الخصوصية الثقافية. ويوضح البحث أن الترجمة السمعية البصرية يجب أن تستند إلى الوعي عبر الثقافات والفهم الکامل للجوانب الثقافية لکل من لغة المصدر ولغة الهدف. کما توصل البحث أيضا إلى أن معالجة ترجمة الحوار لها خصائص محددة وتشکل تحديات تستلزم اهتماما خاصا بنقلها واستراتيجيات الترجمة المطبقة في هذا الصدد.

The Impact of subtitled films on English as a second language students' vocabulary retention

The current study aimed at examining the effects of subtitled films on the vocabulary development of English as second language (ESL) students. To able to achieve this aim a mixed methods research design was employed. For the quantitative part a quasi-experimental design was implemented through a quantitative research approach. For the qualitative part, after the treatment phase interviews were carried out with the participants in the experimental group. Accordingly, two groups were of focus: control and experimental. One group watched English films with subtitles and the other watched the same films without subtitles. A pre-post test was administered in which the pre-test was employed as a diagnostic test to see whether the participants vocabulary knowledge was similar and the post test was administered to reveal whether the student participants had improved their vocabulary knowledge. Thirty ESL students preparing for their O level exams constituted the participants. The findings revealed that films improve vocabulary knowledge. However, when the performances of both groups were compared it was revealed that the group who watched the films with subtitles performed better than the group that watched the films without subtitles. In other words, it was revealed that, the use of watching films with subtitles intensively affected ESL students’ vocabulary knowledge. Furthermore, this study revealed that ESL students have positive attitudes towards watching films in language classes in general, and in vocabulary classes in particular.

VOCABULARY LEARNING STRATEGIES APPLIED BY EFL LOW AND HIGH ACHIEVERS

This study aimed at investigating vocabulary learning strategies (VLSs) applied by EFL low and high achievers and how they applied it. The writer employed a case study conducted in two senior high schools in Ciamis. There were 60 participants involved in this study consisted of 30 low and 30 of high achievers. To answer the research questions, the writer conducted semi-structured interview and administered closed-ended questionnaire based on Schmitt (1997)’s classifications of vocabulary learning strategies. From the results of completed questionnaire, the writer found that metacognitive, determination, and memory strategies were the mostly applied by EFL low and high achievers. Those strategies included using English media, consulting on bilingual dictionary, and studying a sound of word. Furthermore, the data of interview specifically showed that watching subtitled films, listening English songs, consulting on google translate, and asking friends are also involved. Finally, EFL low and high achievers have to be aware of their own preferred strategies in learning vocabulary to improve their foreign language learning. It is suggested for English teachers to facilitate students in applying their preferred strategies in learning vocabulary. Keywords: good language learner, low and high EFL achievers, vocabulary learning strategies

Measuring censorship?: determining the level of “censoredness” of films subtitled during the dictatorship in Portugal

During the Portuguese Estado Novo (1933-1974), many films were banned and others mutilated by the cutting of scenes and suppression and manipulation of subtitles. What reached the audience, in many cases, was a cleansed version of the original. A quick look into censorship documents shows how many cuts a film might have suffered. Suppressed subtitles are also relatively easy to detect. Yet, to get a complete picture, one has to take a deeper look at the subtitles, comparing them with the original spoken dialogues to detect ideological manipulations on the linguistic level. But how can one tell if a film was heavily or slightly censored? Is “censoredness” comparable? This article sets out to find an answer to the question of whether these measures are objectively describable and structurable, and if so, how the level of “censoredness” of subtitled films can be determined, with a view to allowing a larger-scale comparison of films.

Subtitles and cinematic meaning-making: Interlingual subtitles as textual agents

AbstractThis theoretical paper adopts the point of view of the audience of subtitled films and outlines a theory of subtitles as communicative agents within the participation structures of film reception. Based on examples from three Swiss fiction films –Heidi(2015), Heimatland(2015) andDer Goalie bin ig(2014) – the following communicative effects are found and illustrated: uniformity, authorisation, foregrounding, aestheticisation, foreignisation. These effects are conceptualised in terms of Constitutive Communication theory and textual agency (Cooren. 2004. Textual agency: How texts do things in organizational settings.Organization11(3). 373–393. doi:10.1177/1350508404041998), which describe that by communicating with audiences, subtitles animate into being other participants in film discourse and contribute to what viewers take away in terms of characters, stories, the cultural aspects they represent and the source culture(s) from which the text is perceived to communicate.

From paratext to polysemiotic network: A holistic approach to the study of subtitled films

This article proposes a framework for the study of interlingually subtitled films which draws on aspects of existing linguistic– and multimodal–analytical approaches. The methodology comprises contextual analysis at three levels. It proposes an initial study of the subtitling situation and technical aspects of the film. It then recommends an analysis of the plot, director interviews and reviews or articles written upon release of the film in order to identify key themes and the skopos of the film. Finally, in the light of information revealed in these stages of analysis, it proposes a close examination of the subtitles in context, in relation to the skopos of the film, and taking into account the film’s key themes and the cultural context(s) of its release. This allows for an analysis of subtitles which incorporates a variety of factors affecting the context of reception, integrating the multimodal nature of subtitling and the significance of cultural context and readability. Illustrative examples are taken from a case study of an English subtitled version of the French film, “La Squale”.

The Use of Subtitled Films With a Frame Reduction Plate in Foreign language Teaching

The Use of Subtitled Films With a Frame Reduction Plate in Foreign language Teaching

The reception of subtitled films from a sociological perspective

AbstractSpain has traditionally been a dubbing country. Nevertheless, subtitled versions are becoming more visible nowadays. One of the reasons that explain the increasing presence of subtitled films may be the growing concentration of English-speaking people in some areas. But it is not the only factor that explains this often unnoticed transformation: the ease of access to subtitled versions of TV series on the Internet, and the habit of watching subtitled films in other contexts such as film festivals or cinema forums, might help to understand why audiences seem attracted to the subtitled versions of films. In any case, while there may be many surmises, there is little data to confirm them. This article analyses the results of an empirical study thought to provide some information about the reception of subtitled films within the context of a cinema forum held on a weekly basis in a specific Spanish area. The overall purpose of the work is to shed some light on both the audience’s profile and its opinion about subtitling as an alternative way of watching foreign films in a dubbing country. The study is carried out through a survey that allows us to interpret the resulting conclusions from a sociological perspective.

The impact of text segmentation on subtitle reading

Understanding the way people watch subtitled films has become a central concern for subtitling researchers in recent years. Both subtitling scholars and professionals generally believe that in order to reduce cognitive load and enhance readability, line breaks in two-line subtitles should follow syntactic units. However, previous research has been inconclusive as to whether syntactic-based segmentation facilitates comprehension and reduces cognitive load. In this study, we assessed the impact of text segmentation on subtitle processing among different groups of viewers: hearing people with different mother tongues (English, Polish, and Spanish) and deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing people with English as a first language. We measured three indicators of cognitive load (difficulty, effort, and frustration) as well as comprehension and eye tracking variables. Participants watched two video excerpts with syntactically and non-syntactically segmented subtitles. The aim was to determine whether syntactic-based text segmentation as well as the viewers’ linguistic background influence subtitle processing. Our findings show that non-syntactically segmented subtitles induced higher cognitive load, but they did not adversely affect comprehension. The results are discussed in the context of cognitive load, audiovisual translation, and deafness.