The effects of L2, L1 dubbing and L1 subtitling on the effectiveness of persuasive fictional narratives.

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2016-06-15
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en
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Visual narratives are presented in a wide variety of languages, often in a viewers’ nonnative language. Sometimes translation methods are applied, of which dubbing and subtitling are the most prominent. The purpose of this study was to assess if language had an effect on the levels of identification, transportation, narrative understanding, flow, and enjoyment among children in the age of 11-13. These variables taken together form narrative persuasion. Language, in this study, has been operationalized as nonnative English (L2), native Dutch (L1), and nonnative English with Dutch subtitles (L2 with L1 subtitles). A total of 120 8th grade schoolchildren from different primary schools participated in this study. The material consisted of the Disney movie Aladdin (1993), of which the original English soundtrack, the original Dutch voice-over, and the original Dutch subtitles were used. The results of this study demonstrate that language (translation method) influences the levels of identification, transportation, narrative understanding, flow, and enjoyment among children. Overall, the Dutch subtitled version ensured the highest levels of narrative persuasion.
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Faculteit der Letteren