Postgraduate Course: Introduction to Subtitling: Theory and Practice (CLLC11209)
Course Outline
| School | School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course is designed to equip students with essential skills and knowledge in subtitling research and practice. It combines lectures on theories related to subtitling practice and research, and practice sessions (tutorials), allowing students to develop practical experience in subtitling that is informed by research. |
| Course description |
This course will introduce students to Audiovisual Translation (AVT) practices in general and offers an in-depth knowledge of the field of subtitling. Topics to be covered during the lectures and tutorials include the history and present situation of subtitling, pros and cons of subtitling when compared to other AVT modes (e.g., dubbing, voice-over, etc.), semiotics of subtitling, subtitling conventions, and economic and professional aspects. In the tutorials, the students will develop subtitling skills in a variety of registers and styles, by translating AV materials from various sources (films, corporate videos, documentaries) and covering a broad range of specialised genres and media issues.
The course focuses on the convergence of issues of audiovisual modes/media and translation and translation studies. It aims at:
* encouraging critical thinking on the relationships between words, images and translation;
* introducing central concepts of audiovisual approaches to translation;
* showing how these approaches could be implemented in terms of various translation strategies;
* broadening the students' perspectives on the constraints attached to the AVT mode of subtitling.
This course emphasizes the practical aspects of subtitling, providing students with foundational skills and knowledge in the practice of subtitling. Students will have ample opportunities to consolidate these skills through hands-on subtitling practice. By the end of the course, students will be expected to demonstrate subtitling skills.
This course introduces students to the foundational skills and knowledge of subtitling. Key topics covered include:
- The constraints of AVT translation, with a focus on subtitling
- Subtitling different genres and topics (e.g., films, TV series, humour, trauma, etc.)
The course combines lectures with practice sessions in small groups, offering students opportunities to develop their subtitling skills through practical exercises. By engaging in this hands-on learning process, students will gain an understanding of essential and effective subtitling techniques and skills and be able to perform subtitling tasks.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | This course is offered as a priority to students on the MSc in Translation Studies students. Students from the MSc in Intermediality can also take this course but they need to have another working language in addition to English (e.g. their mother tongue or B1 in CEFR or they must have graduated with this language at UG level). |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2026/27, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: 0 |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 10,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 16,
Feedback/Feedforward Hours 4,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
166 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
For their assessment, the students will be producing subtitling of a 15-minute clip and a 2,000-word commentary which discusses their translation.
100% coursework: 2,000 word essay (including the subtitling of a 15-minute clip of their choice, but this will not be assessed as explained above). The translation itself will not be assessed as we do not have staff available to assess subtitling in all languages. Marking criteria are therefore based on their commentary (see attached document). This follows what we do for our option Translation Studies 2, for which students have to provide a retranslation of a source text and a 2,000-word commentary.
[One essay meets all five LOs.]
Students will also be required to prepare a short oral presentation (5 min + 5 minutes for questions) on their 2,000-word commentary to deliver to the class. This is not assessed and is an opportunity for the class to ask questions and offer peer comments as well as for the course organizer to confirm topics. This opportunity to feed forward on the essay is also done on another course (Translating the Sacred) and this works well. We will use the seminar and tutorial time of week 7 to provide feedback to students. |
| Feedback |
Written feedback on final essay. Students will receive feedback from the CO and other students on the course. We will use the 4h seminar/tutorial times to do this exercise. This will not be assessed in order to relieve the students from the pressure of assessed work. Students with LAs who cannot present in class, will be able to submit a short PowerPoint presentation so that they can be provided feedback and equal access to assessment opportunities are ensured.
Oral feedback on their presentations.
Feedback on the presentation will consider the following:
- Is there a clear topic and a research question in the presentation?
- What are the subtitling challenges?
- What is the link to a subtitling topic?
- Why have you decided to work on this specific topic/material?
- What is clear?/What is not so clear?
- What other theories or methods could be used?
- Is the evidence they have provided convincing?
- Are (tentative) conclusions clear? |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate a critical understanding of a range of subtitling theories and concepts, which intersect with other areas such as politics, ethics, power, gender, etc.
- Understand the cultural and linguistic issues inherent to subtitling and make informed translation choices based on purpose, intended audience and genre.
- Adhere to professional conventions of good subtitling practice such as spotting and timing.
- Identify and exploit the semiotic relationships established between original soundtrack, image and written text when subtitling.
- Produce a subtitled version of an audiovisual programme.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
In addition to developing subtitling skills, students who complete the course will acquire a range of transferable skills that extend beyond subtitling. We have used 'What is the Skills for Success Framework? | Graduate Attributes and Skills for Success | Graduate Attributes': https://graduate-attributes.ed.ac.uk/what-is-the-skills-for-success-framework.
These skills include:
- Data and digital literacy: using digital tools appropriate to contexts.
- Adaptivity: applying personal drive, motivation and determination.
- Critical thinking: Developing independent thought through questioning norms, practices and opinions.
- Individuality: identify and strengthen those skills which have personal, discipline and professional significance.
- Problem solving: synthesising information and translating into knowledge within different contexts; facilitating and co-producing solutions; considering complex systems with contradictions and uncertainties.
- Information organisation and enhanced confidence. |
| Keywords | Audiovisual Translation,Subtitling,Semiotics,Pragmatics,Multimodality |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Charlotte Bosseaux
Tel: (0131 6)51 3735
Email: Charlotte.Bosseaux@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | |
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