Why subtitles?

[alex28]

Well, if you managed to land on this page, probably you understand more than enough to watch something without subtitles... still, why do you do it?
My native language is not English, yet i watch episodes only with English subtitles.
The reason is simple: i don`t want translations since they might be wrong sometimes ( depends 100% on the translator ) so i use English files to make my life easier. With subtitles i can concentrate more on the action and less on the spoken words ( that sometimes might be whispers or God knows what ).

What`s your excuse?

[Chris]

English subtitles are good for the deaf of hearing.

English subtitles are also good when someone else is talking to you and you can read the subtitles whilst talking to them!

English subtitles are good for some "technical" terms that you don't understand or names that are difficult to spell or pronounce!

Finally, English subtitles are good when some studios like CBS/Paramount/Sony use CC on their Region 1 DVDs instead of SDH (Subtitles for the deaf of hearing). It annoys me 'coz I live in Australia and not in USA/Canada and we Australians (including UK) cannot access CC on our TV. We can only watch CC on our computer.

Did I missed out on any other ones? Please feel free to add! :)

[Foaman]

My native language is Arabic but almost 99% of the Arabic subtitles change some of the words in translation which really annoys me, that's why I watch everything with English subtitles.
1- So that no words are mistranslated.
2- To learn new English words.

[honeybunny]

Because sometimes I'd rather focus on the action that on understanding every spoken word and because I got used to it. And it's perfect when u have to watch the episodes with no sound.

[spyderspyder]

Hi, all.

I have a hearing difficulty that is neurological, rather than audiological, ie, a processing problem. I hear well enough, generally speaking, but with some sources (e.g., the audio track of a tv programme or film) the "signal" becomes a mere rumbling mess once it enters the nervous system.

It is at its worst if there be music or other background noises on the soundtrack (not to mention the modern tendency to poor articulation).

(Difficulties also arise when trying to have a conversation in a noisy gathering - at a party, say - where I have developed a habit of just smiling, nodding, and saying things like, "Gosh... Really... That's good..." It can get you into trouble!)

Interestingly, with subtitles on the screen, the visual cue is often enough to somehow "prompt" the auditory channel in my brain, and I then hear the speech quite clearly (especially if the timing of the subs is slightly in advance of the speech).

Another interesting aspect is that music is largely unaffected - indeed, I have been a musician all my life, and still play with no intonation difficulty, although it has been some time since I played with an orchestra, which would present me with a lot of accompanying background sound.

s.

[stovokor]

First of all, thank you for the excellent rendering of my personal preferences for English subtitles by the previous posters! I could not put it in better words. Specially about poor translations!!!! Sometimes I laugh my head off, and sometimes I fall in the deepest pit of black despair seeing the stupidity and lack of skill of some translators.

In addition: I teach. I teach a lot. I teach people with various learning problems. I am a movies freak. And teaching freak. So I try to teach, incorporating movies in the curricullum. It works!!!!!

Before - I used to make my own subtitles, which was a hell of a job, and a very difficult one for me - I am not a native speaker. Now: I can enjoy and use for a good purpose all this hard work of others. Therefore I dont want to remain idle, and once I am here: I want to help this community, help the movie lovers, help my fellow teachers, help my hundreds of kids and grownups with showing them that learning can be fun.

Thats one of my reasons to be for the subtitles.

Love you guys, really do. You just made the difference :)

[alex28]

Hi, all.

I have a hearing difficulty that is neurological, rather than audiological, ie, a processing problem. I hear well enough, generally speaking, but with some sources (e.g., the audio track of a tv programme or film) the "signal" becomes a mere rumbling mess once it enters the nervous system.

It is at its worst if there be music or other background noises on the soundtrack (not to mention the modern tendency to poor articulation).

(Difficulties also arise when trying to have a conversation in a noisy gathering - at a party, say - where I have developed a habit of just smiling, nodding, and saying things like, "Gosh... Really... That's good..." It can get you into trouble!)

Interestingly, with subtitles on the screen, the visual cue is often enough to somehow "prompt" the auditory channel in my brain, and I then hear the speech quite clearly (especially if the timing of the subs is slightly in advance of the speech).

Another interesting aspect is that music is largely unaffected - indeed, I have been a musician all my life, and still play with no intonation difficulty, although it has been some time since I played with an orchestra, which would present me with a lot of accompanying background sound.

s.

Interesting. Didn`t know you played with an orchestra :-). That happens to me too when i have subtitles on the screen. Sounds are clear once i see the transcript. Same thing happens with music. Lyrics i don`t understand are quite easy to understand if i`m listening to music and reading lyrics at the same time :-)

First of all, thank you for the excellent rendering of my personal preferences for English subtitles by the previous posters! I could not put it in better words. Specially about poor translations!!!! Sometimes I laugh my head off, and sometimes I fall in the deepest pit of black despair seeing the stupidity and lack of skill of some translators.

In addition: I teach. I teach a lot. I teach people with various learning problems. I am a movies freak. And teaching freak. So I try to teach, incorporating movies in the curricullum. It works!!!!!

Before - I used to make my own subtitles, which was a hell of a job, and a very difficult one for me - I am not a native speaker. Now: I can enjoy and use for a good purpose all this hard work of others. Therefore I dont want to remain idle, and once I am here: I want to help this community, help the movie lovers, help my fellow teachers, help my hundreds of kids and grownups with showing them that learning can be fun.

Thats one of my reasons to be for the subtitles.

Love you guys, really do. You just made the difference

You`re in the right place i think. We also want to get people of out ignorance and teach them as much as we can :-)

[cRaZyMaGgOt]

Short and crisp: I'm hearing impaired.
I can hear about 20%...

without my hearing aids

I can hear enough with them, I don't need to use sign language to communicate with other people.

The actual problem is, that i don't understand much during action scenes.
And americans mumble very often, especially men.

[VeRdiKT]

I have bad listening skills. Nearly failed my LS exam in 5th grade, though I can hear perfectly.

Now Im totally dependent on subs :(

[Kensei]

To improve my English. ;)

[spyderspyder]

An interesting statistic (maybe)...

I read recently that in the UK, an estimated 60% of those who regularly watch TV with subtitles have no hearing problems.

s.

[deGrote]

To don't wait thousands of years to watch something.

[alex28]

Yeah but you know English, why use them? :P

[mechvince]

I'm Hearing impaired... In other words I have a severe to profound hearing loss, meaning that without my hearing aids I hear pretty much nothing. With my hearing aids, I hear a whole lot better but I have a hard time making out the difference between certain sounds (an 'e' and an 'i' sounds the same to me). I read lips pretty much the whole time but even that can be hard (Almost impossible to do when watching TV). I'm happy that at least I can watch my shows and understand with the help of subs. I thank y'all for your contribution, Thanks!

[spyderspyder]

"Yeah but you know English, why use them?"

But the TV programmes mostly originate from the USA, and so the language used in them is not English, but American, a language which, by historical connexion, has some similarities to English and other European tongues.

However, there are a great many dissimilarities, including linguistic distortions and abusage.
In a TV sound track, these differences - combined with regional variations, poor delivery and diction - often means that understanding the spoken lines requires some interpretation (if not translation) and subtitles can be an essential tool in this process.


s.

[Dolle19]

Arabic timecodes are the best :)

[olddan]

Because I'm dead without them. My english is terrible and I don't understand the spoken english but only the written one.

[dumble]

My native language is Dutch. I use english subs because when i do i can hear and see. So i use two senses (my ears/eyes) Thats why i understand it better.

[Ahmad]

my accent got better with english subs

i`m arab guy

[Hell Of The Steel]

As another movie freak I must have ALL movies and some of TV shows the second they're out.English is not my native language(I'm albanian)so there's always something I miss from a dialogue.But as my english improves I find myself less prone in using them as they're a little distracting.Now with some shows with a more simple languge I don't use them at all but for UK english God help me I don't understand a word.
I began myself making subs as my mom(who speaks and understand english perfectly) was having difficulties in hearing as a mean to help her enjoy her favourite shows(Lost and House)and then I decided to share them with others.If I can help at least one person I'll be happy.