Insights into Iranian younger audience of Persian amateur subtitling: a reception study

Abstract

In today’s digital culture, amateur as a type of non-professional subtitling has mushroomed worldwide and has arguably challenged conventional practices of audiovisual translation. The contemporary digital mediascape has provided an opportunity for audiences to access a wide variety of audiovisual content through multiple translation modes. The aim of this study is twofold. It examines Iranian younger viewers’ audiovisual translation viewing habits and preferences and explores their reception and assessment of Persian amateur subtitling. A selection of 132 Iranian participants attended the study to watch an entire episode of an English television comedy with Persian amateur subtitles. A questionnaire and semistructured interviews were used to collect data on viewers’ audiovisual translation viewing habits and their reception of the subtitled episode. Findings suggest that a large number of the users prefer to watch audiovisual content with subtitles created and distributed by non-professionals. The results of the experiment indicate the viewers’ positive attitudes and perceptions towards amateur subtitles. On the basis of the empirical evidence, it can be argued that the Iranian audience, who had grown up accustomed to dubbing, have now become acclimatized to subtitling. Other evidence is indicative of the viewers’ positive experience and appraisal of Persian amateur subtitling.