Teaching Subtitle Translation: A Lesson Plan Based on Task-Based Cooperative Learning

The purpose of this study is to present a systematic instructional/learning platform for subtitle translation to prepare students for an emerging market that demands expertise and technological skills. A sample lesson based on the flipped classroom and task-based cooperative learning approach is proposed as an example. The lesson plan is designed for a translation course for eighteen English major students at the undergraduate level in the spring of 2023. Materials for the flipped lesson include demonstration videos of subtitling rules/conventions and software manipulation for students to view in advance. In the classroom, undergraduate students engaged in task-based cooperative learning to create translated subtitles for two sitcom episodes using subtitling software. Condensation, a translation strategy crucial in subtitle translation, is discussed in connection with one of the key principles of translation: deverbalization and reformulation. A detailed step-by-step lesson plan in which new technological advancements are incorporated into the audio-visual translation learning environment is outlined. A categorized analysis of the end-product is presented to the students followed by a viewing of the two subtitled sitcom episodes as the final step of the lesson. Limitations and implications of the study are also presented.