Publication
Title
Subtitles in English-only TV commercials : are they still necessary or have they become superfluous?
Author
Abstract
Previous studies on the effects of subtitles in cross-national English spoken commercials have yielded contradictory results regarding young and highly educated viewers’ ad and brand attitudes. Most studies did not examine whether local-language subtitles are still necessary for older viewers to understand the English dialogues in the commercials. In a between-subjects experiment, we examined whether subtitles had a positive effect on (1) participants’ understanding of what the actors in commercials were saying to each other, and (2) participants’ attitudes towards commercials. Our sample (N = 188) consisted of viewers over age forty with different educational backgrounds living in a typical subtitling region. Our study showed that subtitles did not affect viewers’ attitudes towards the commercials. Local-language subtitles, however, increased participants’ understanding of what was said in the commercials, regardless of their educational level. Subtitles in English spoken commercials intended for an older and broad audience are, therefore, certainly not superfluous.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Dutch journal of applied linguistics. - Amsterdam, 2012, currens
Publication
Amsterdam : 2023
ISSN
2211-7245
2211-7253 [online]
DOI
10.51751/DUJAL11354
Volume/pages
12 (2023) , p. 1-18
ISI
001229829900001
Medium
E-only publicatie
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (open access)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Record
Identifier
Creation 03.01.2024
Last edited 02.07.2024
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