Subtitling Matters: New Perspectives on Subtitling and Foreign Language Learning (New Trends in Translation Studies)

238 Pages·2012·5.343 MB·

by  Elisa Ghia

New Trends in Translation Studies New Trends in Translation Studies
Vol. 3
Drawing on recent theoretical developments in second language acquisi-
tion, this book proposes a new approach to the learning of foreign lan-
guages through subtitled audiovisual input. Subtitled text is explored as a
source of language acquisition, and its dialogue and subtitle components
are focused on as sources of linguistic input. The primary focus of the
research is subtitling and the impact it can have on learners’ noticing and
acquisition of linguistic structures. The concept of translational salience is E Subtitling Matters
l
i
introduced, a phenomenon that can occur due to an accentuated contrast s
a

between L2 dialogue and L1 subtitles. Two experimental studies on the G
h
acquisition of English syntax by Italian learners are used to test the role i
a
of translational salience in both noticing and L2 learning. The results lead

• New Perspectives on Subtitling
to a definition of salience particular to the audiovisual medium and raise

S
challenging issues in the pedagogic applications of subtitling, paving the u
b and Foreign Language Learning
way for the design of more learner-centred subtitles. t
i
t
l
i
n
g

M
a
t
t
e Elisa Ghia
r
s

Elisa Ghia received her PhD in Linguistics from the University of Pavia, Italy. She
is currently a lecturer in English at the University of Pavia and the University
of Milan, Italy. Her research interests include audiovisual translation, second
language acquisition and the study of spoken English.
ISBN 978-3-0343-0843-4
Peter Lang
www.peterlang.com
New Trends in T ranslation Studies New Trends in T ranslation Studies
Vol. 3
Drawing on recent theoretical developments in second language acquisi-
tion, this book proposes a new approach to the learning of foreign lan-
guages through subtitled audiovisual input. Subtitled text is explored as a
source of language acquisition, and its dialogue and subtitle components
are focused on as sources of linguistic input. The primary focus of the
research is subtitling and the impact it can have on learners’ noticing and
acquisition of linguistic structures. The concept of translational salience is E Subtitling Matters
l
i
introduced, a phenomenon that can occur due to an accentuated contrast s
a

between L2 dialogue and L1 subtitles. Two experimental studies on the G
h
acquisition of English syntax by Italian learners are used to test the role i
a
of translational salience in both noticing and L2 learning. The results lead

• New Perspectives on Subtitling
to a definition of salience particular to the audiovisual medium and raise

S
challenging issues in the pedagogic applications of subtitling, paving the u
b and Foreign Language Learning
way for the design of more learner-centred subtitles. t
i
t
l
i
n
g

M
a
t
t
e Elisa Ghia
r
s

Elisa Ghia received her PhD in Linguistics from the University of Pavia, Italy. She
is currently a lecturer in English at the University of Pavia and the University
of Milan, Italy. Her research interests include audiovisual translation, second
language acquisition and the study of spoken English.
Peter Lang
www.peterlang.com
Subtitling Matters
New Trends in Translation Studies
Volume 3
Series Editor:
Dr Jorge Díaz Cintas
Advisory Board:
Professor Susan Bassnett
Dr Lynne Bowker
Professor Frederic Chaume
Professor Aline Remael
PETER LANG
Oxford • Bern • Berlin • Bruxelles • Frankfurt am Main • New York • Wien
Subtitling Matters
New Perspectives on Subtitling
and Foreign Language Learning
Elisa Ghia
PETER LANG
Oxford • Bern • Berlin • Bruxelles • Frankfurt am Main • New York • Wien
Bibliographic information published by Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek.
Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche National-
bibliografie; detailed bibliographic data is available on the Internet at
http://dnb.d-nb.de.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Ghia, Elisa, 1982-
Subtitling matters : new perspectives on subtitling and foreign
language learning / Elisa Ghia.
p. cm. -- (New trends in translation studies ; 3)
Originally published as the author’s thesis under the title “Patterns
of perceptual salience in audiovisual input”, 2010.
ISBN 978-3-0343-0843-4 (alk. paper)
1. Translating and interpreting. 2. Multimedia systems. 3. Second
language acquisition. 4. Mass media and language. 5. Dubbing of motion
pictures. 6. Discourse analysis. 7. Motion pictures--Titling. I.
Title.
P306.93.G45 2012
418’.02--dc23
2012032440
ISSN 1664-249X
ISBN 978-3-0343-0843-4 (print)
ISBN 978-3-0353-0390-2 (eBook)
© Peter Lang AG, International Academic Publishers, Bern 2012
Hochfeldstrasse 32, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
[email protected], www.peterlang.com, www.peterlang.net
All rights reserved.
All parts of this publication are protected by copyright.
Any utilisation outside the strict limits of the copyright law, without
the permission of the publisher, is forbidden and liable to prosecution.
This applies in particular to reproductions, translations, microfilming,
and storage and processing in electronic retrieval systems.
Printed in Germany
Contents
List of Tables vii
List of Figures ix
Acknowledgements xi
List of Abbreviations xiii
Chapter 1
Introduction 1
Chapter 2
Subtitled Audiovisual Input and L2 Learning 7
Chapter 3
Salience and Translational Salience 49
Chapter 4
Perceptual Salience in Audiovisual Input: A Noticing Study 71
Chapter 5
Translational Salience and L2 Acquisition: An Empirical Study 93
Chapter 6
Results 129
vi
Chapter 7
Discussion of Findings: Towards a Comprehensive Account of
Translational Salience 165
Chapter 8
Conclusion 189
Bibliography 191
Appendix 209
Index 219
Tables
Table 1 List of the films selected as experimental input 97
Table 2 Phases of the experimental procedure 127
Table 3 Descriptive statistics for the control groups 130
Table 4 Within-subjects ef fects for the control groups 131
Table 5 Between-subjects ef fects for the control groups 131
Table 6 Descriptive statistics for the experimental groups 133
Table 7 Within-subjects ef fects for the whole test 134
Table 8 Between-subjects ef fects for the whole test 134
Table 9 Summary of growth trends (in percentages) from pretest
to posttest 135
Table 10 Descriptive statistics for the direct questions task 136
Table 11 Within-subjects ef fects for the direct questions task 138
Table 12 Between-subjects ef fects for the direct questions task 138
Table 13 Within-subjects ef fects for yes-no and wh-questions 139–140
Table 14 Between-subjects ef fects for yes-no and wh-questions 140
Table 15 Multiple comparisons between the experimental groups 141
Table 16 Descriptive statistics for the indirect questions task 143
Table 17 Within-subjects ef fects for time and time X treatment in
the indirect questions task 144
Table 18 Between-subjects ef fects for treatment in the indirect
questions task 144
Table 19 Descriptive statistics for the question tags task 146
Table 20 Within-subjects ef fects for the question tags task 147
viii Tables
Table 21 Between-subjects ef fects for the question tags task 147
Table 22 Descriptive statistics for the cleft-production task 149
Table 23 Within-subjects ef fects for the cleft production task 151
Table 24 Between-subjects ef fects for the cleft production task 151
Table 25 Descriptive statistics for the phrase reordering task 153
Table 26 Within-subjects ef fects for the phrase reordering task 154
Table 27 Between-subjects ef fects for the phrase reordering task 154
Table 28 Descriptive statistics for accuracy of main constituent order
in clauses 156
Table 29 Within-subjects ef fects for accuracy of main constituent order
in clauses 157
Table 30 Between-subjects ef fects for accuracy of main constituent order
in clauses 157
Table 31 Descriptive statistics for AP complexity 159
Table 32 Within- and between-subjects ef fects for AP complexity 160
Table 33 Descriptive statistics for AdvP complexity 161
Table 34 Within- and between-subjects ef fects for AdvP complexity 162