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Audiovisual Translation in Applied Linguistics: Educational perspectives
Edited by Laura Incalcaterra McLoughlin, Jennifer Lertola and Noa Talaván
[Benjamins Current Topics 111] 2020
► pp. 9–29

Didactic subtitling in the Foreign Language (FL) classroom. Improving language skills through task-based practice and Form-Focused Instruction (FFI)

Background considerations

| University of Leeds
Didactic subtitling is a relatively new area of investigation that is undergoing a surge in popularity. By bringing together findings from Audiovisual Translation (AVT), Second Language Acquisition (SLA) and psycholinguistics, some theoretical issues related to the practice of subtitle creation in Foreign Language Learning (FLL) are appraised. The article introduces Task-Based Learning and Teaching (TBLT) and reflects on what didactic subtitling can and cannot offer to TBLT approaches. In a still predominantly communicative era, language researchers are questioning the effectiveness of entirely communicative approaches to FLL. Many support the idea that, if successful learning is to be achieved, some Form-Focused Instruction (FFI) is needed. This article reviews relevant FFI literature, and explores how far active subtitling can provide an effective strategy for focussing on form that leads to communicative language development. In doing so, concepts such as noticing, skill development, interaction, pushed output and consciousness-raising are addressed. It is argued that a combination of task-based and form-focused instruction in the subtitling classroom can have great potential and should be investigated further, both theoretically and empirically.
Keywords: audiovisual translation, didactic subtitling, foreign language learning, task-based learning and teaching, form-focused instruction
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction: An overview of didactic subtitling in FLL
  • 2.Scope, aims and structure
  • 3.Defining tasks
  • 4.Didactic subtitling as a task
  • 5.The role of the subtitling task in the learning process:
    Reappraisal of form
    • 5.1Noticing, ‘form’ and FLL
    • 5.2Didactic subtitling and attention to form
    • 5.3Didactic subtitling and production
    • 5.4Active and passive skills in didactic subtitling
    • 5.5Didactic subtitling and interaction
    • 5.6Didactic subtitling and multiple exposures
    • 5.7TBLT and unpredictability
  • 6.One step further: Focus on FormS
  • 7.Conclusions
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 12 November 2020
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/bct.111.ttmc.00002.rag
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