Film Subtitling’s Challenges and Solutions: An Empirical Study of Saudi Translation Learners' Perceptions and Attitudes

Abstract

The growing cultural consciousness and other needs emerging due to rapid globalization in contemporary times have led to an addition to the available literature in the translation subfield of film subtitling. This has created new challenges for the learners enrolled in translation courses. However, the problem specific to the subtitling of films is relatively less researched, especially concerning learners' perceptions and attitudes towards it. This study aimed to bridge this gap, investigate the problems encountered by Saudi EFL learners in subtitling film content, and chronicle their suggestions for dealing with them. The study used a validated questionnaire to gather perceptions and attitude data from a large sample of 583 translation students across four Saudi universities in the second semester of the academic year 2021-2022. This phase lasted for almost four months. All the items in the questionnaire were loaded onto five factors. The findings showed a significant positive correlation between the number of translation courses/credited hours and participants’ knowledge, attitudes, applied practice, and suggestions for improving learning outcomes in their universities. The findings also established that Saudi EFL students face several challenges in subtitling, including linguistic, cultural, and technical problems, of which technical issues, followed by cultural issues, were perceived to top the list. Finally, there were no significant differences in the participants' perceptions attributable to the alma mater, indicating that the challenges are universal and that changes in policy, curricular, and pedagogical levels are needed in all participating universities.