5th edition

Unit 2 Video
The art of subtitling SB p25 Intermediate

Before watching
1 Work in small groups. Discuss the questions. 2 Use a form of the word given in capitals to complete each sentence.
Do you prefer to watch foreign films and 1 This app accurately forecasts the weather. ACCURATE
TV shows with subtitles or dubbed into 2 I can’t understand Chinese, so I will have to read an English
your own language? Why? of this book. TRANSLATE
3 There have been many in modern medicine.
DEVELOP
4 You need more than just to succeed
here – you need dedication as well! INTELLIGENT
5 This job is but it’s also very rewarding. STRESS
6 I am very about my work. PASSION

While watching
3 Watch the video. Are the sentences true (✓) or 5 Watch A challenging job. Match the amounts to
false (✗)? Correct the false sentences. what they refer to.
1 The first films were silent. one  two  only a few  22  over 8 million
2 Dubbing is cheaper than subtitling.
3 The biggest challenges of subtitling are time and 1 number of BTI Studios offices worldwide
money. 2 minutes of adapted content produced each year by
4 In this job, you need to work quickly and be able to BTI Studios
think simultaneously in two languages. 3 number of programmes, shows or episodes that
5 Hilde is in favour of auto-translation. should be completed each day
6 Some aspects of Hilde’s job are quite boring. 4 number of languages you have to be able to think in
4 Watch Localization. Underline the correct option in simultaneously
each sentence. 5 number of seconds the small boxes of translation
are on screen
1 According to the narrator, our language is central
to learning / our cultural identity. 6 Watch A passion for languages. Take notes and
2 ‘Intertitles’ are on-screen cards to explain what is answer the questions.
happening / on-screen translations.
1 What does Hilde think about auto-translation?
3 The useful thing about the intertitles was that they
2 What does Hilde say you can’t train a machine to do?
were cheap / easy to translate.
3 What phrase could sound strange in some
4 Improvements in technology made it easier to have
languages, if translated literally?
more text on the intertitles / dub a film.
4 What is difficult about Hilde’s job?
5 One of the problems of dubbing is that it’s more
expensive than other methods / hard to hear. 5 What does Hilde feel at the end of each day?

After watching
7 Work in groups. Discuss the questions.
Extension
• What are some of the pros and cons
of online translation software? Find a short clip on YouTube in your first language. Write out
all of the dialogue, then translate into English.
• Are there elements of your language
(idioms, humour, etc.) that would be In the next class, show the clip to your group members, with the
very difficult to translate into English? sound off. Read out the English translation so your group can
Share some examples. understand. Say if there were any idioms or language that was
• Do you think online translation will hard to translate, and if you had to change the translation in
change the way people learn languages? order to fit the timing.

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 5th edition
Unit 2 Video Teacher’s notes
The art of subtitling SB p25 Intermediate

Before watching (10 minutes)

Answers
Warmer 1 22
2 over 8 million
Elicit some of the English shows that students watch 3 one
regularly, and some of the films they have seen in English 4 two
recently. Ask some students how much they think they 5 only a few
understand when they watch. Do they watch with
subtitles or dubbed (this would be a good time to explain 6 r Before playing A passion for languages, ask students to
the keywords ‘subtitles’ and ‘dub’)? read the questions and try and answer from memory. Play
A passion for languages and ask students to check their
1 Ask students to work in small groups and discuss the answers. Elicit answers from the whole class.
questions. Monitor and help students if they make any
errors. Have a class feedback session eliciting ideas from Answers
various groups, then focus on any language issues. 1 She’s against it and doesn’t think translation is something a
machine can do.
2 This activity gives students further practice with word 2 You can’t train a machine to understand poetry and sense of
formation. Ask students to read the sentences and use humour, and read between the lines.
the word in capitals to form the correct word for each 3 I’m dying for a coffee.
sentence. Elicit answers from the whole class. 4 It’s challenging, demanding, stressful, with tight deadlines.
5 She feels that she has done something important.
Answers
1 accurately
2 translation
3 developments
4 intelligence
After watching (10 minutes)
5 stressful 7 Check students know what online translation software is
6 passionate (Google Translate, for example).
Then have students discuss the questions in groups.
Monitor and make a note of any errors and also of any
While watching (30 minutes) examples of good language. Have a class feedback session
eliciting opinions and ideas from various groups, then
3 r Ask students to read the sentences. Play the full video focus on any language issues.
clip and ask students to decide whether the sentences
are true (f) or false (g). Remind them to correct any false Extension
sentences. Elicit answers from the whole class.
Tell students that they are going to experience first-hand
Answers what Hilde was talking about. Ask them to read the task.
1 f Advise students to pick a clip that has some dialogue, but
2 g Dubbing is more expensive than subtitling. not too much and not too fast (otherwise it will be too
3 g The biggest challenges of subtitling are time and space. much of a challenge).
4 f In the following class, students can show the clip on
5 g Hilde is against auto-translation.
their smartphones, while giving the English voiceover.
6 g Hilde’s job is never boring.
If students don’t have smartphones, they can film the
clip on a camera in advance, and show the video on the
4 r Before playing Localization, ask students to read camera.
the questions and try and answer from memory. Play
Remind students that it will be important for them to get
Localization and ask students to check their answers. Elicit
the timings right so that the voiceover matches the video;
answers from the whole class.
so they will have to translate carefully, and practise in
Answers advance.
1 our cultural identity Students can watch the video again online at
2 on-screen cards to explain what is happening headwayonline.com and complete the interactive tasks.
3 easy to translate
4 dub a film
5 more expensive than other methods

5 r Before playing A challenging job, ask students to try

to match the amounts in the box to sentences 1–5 from
memory. Play A challenging job and ask students to check
their answers. Elicit answers from the whole class.

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