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Article published In:
Audiovisual translation in the age of streaming
Edited by Jinsil Choi, Kyung Hye Kim and Jonathan Evans
[Target 35:3] 2023
► pp. 426–454

Subtitlers’ beliefs about pivot templates

What do they tell us about language hierarchies and translation quality in streaming service platforms?

ORCID logo | Leiden University
ORCID logo | Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, FCSH, CETAPS
ORCID logo | Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
ORCID logo | University of Lisbon Centre for English Studies
Streaming service platforms are said to increase worldwide access to peripheral languages, often via the use of pivot templates. To shed light on how pivot subtitling practices impact language hierarchies and translation quality, we report on the results of an online questionnaire completed by European subtitlers. The questionnaire elicited data on the respondents’ experiences and expectations when translating from pivot templates for streaming services and other media environments (such as cable TV, cinema, and websites). The questionnaire was completed by 370 subtitlers and the elicited data were analysed quantitatively and qualitatively. The results suggest that streaming platforms reinforce traditional language hierarchies by strengthening the position of English as a hyper-central language (Heilbron 2010). ‘Peripheral–peripheral’ subtitling practices (e.g., Korean–Danish) occur mainly through pivot templates in English, and so do ‘central–central’ subtitling practices (e.g., German–French). This means that even when the original content is in a language other than English, English is still the most common source language for subtitlers because of the use of pivot templates. Furthermore, according to our respondents, pivot templates are more common in streaming platforms than in other media environments. The use of pivot templates is also reported to negatively impact subtitlers’ working conditions and give rise to particular ethical, linguistic, and technological challenges for which there are currently few guidelines and training opportunities.
Keywords: pivot templates, language hierarchies, translation quality, subtitling, streaming
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Related research
    • 2.1Technological developments, media distribution, and language development
    • 2.2Pivot templates: A tricky solution to market demands
  • 3.Methodology
    • 3.1Questionnaire design and data collection
    • 3.2Respondents
    • 3.3Data analysis procedures
  • 4.Results and discussion
    • 4.1Experience working from templates
    • 4.2Working languages and pivot languages
    • 4.3Quality of pivot templates
  • 5.Conclusions, limitations, and avenues for future research
  • Data availability statement
  • Acknowledgments
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 1 September 2023
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/target.00019.val
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2024. Indirect (pivot) audiovisual translation: a conversation with and among B. Agulló Garcia, D. Orrego-Carmona and G. Spiteri Miggiani. Perspectives 32:5 ► pp. 849 ff. DOI logo
Dallı, Harun & Seung-eun Sung
2024. The state of pivot subtitling. FORUM. Revue internationale d’interprétation et de traduction / International Journal of Interpretation and Translation 22:2 ► pp. 151 ff. DOI logo
Pięta, Hanna, Susana Valdez, Rita Menezes & Stavroula Sokoli
2024. Indirect (pivot) audiovisual translation: a burning issue for research and training. Perspectives 32:5 ► pp. 763 ff. DOI logo
Pięta, Hanna, Susana Valdez, Ester Torres-Simón & Rita Menezes
2023. Pivot Templators’ Challenges and Training: Insights from a Survey Study with Subtitlers and Subtitler Trainers. Íkala, Revista de Lenguaje y Cultura 28:2 ► pp. 1 ff. DOI logo

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