Towards a curriculum for the training of subtitlers in South Africa

Abstract

This article proposes a curriculum outline for the training of subtitlers in South Africa by integrating domestic user-based parameters (user group profiles, reading speed, non-linguistic audio elements, language structures, phoneme-grapheme correlation, standard of translation, vocabulary) and the aspects that shape existing courses in other countries (national context of subtitling, training aims, academic level, duration, content, equipment and software used, on-the-job training or internships, recognition of prior learning, candidates envisaged, assessment of progress, and the use of film and television scripts). The curriculum is aimed at striking a balance between vocational and purely academic theoretical training, in view of South Africa's unique language-political landscape. It is defined in terms of general and specific outcomes that are broken down into knowledge and skills required for their attainment. Furthermore, the article also suggests that the optimal training environment for subtitlers in South Africa is a university working in collaboration with a dedicated subtitling centre.

Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies 2005, 23(4): 431–444