Didactic audiovisual translation in language teaching: Results from TRADILEX

Abstract

The current paper reports on the results of a national research project investigating the use of didactic audiovisual translation
(DAT) in foreign language teaching. Although previous research in this field concludes that there are positive outcomes in
students’ learning, most studies rely on small samples and analyse one language skill only. The TRADILEX project aims at
examining the effect of several modes of audiovisual translation (AVT) -i.e., subtitling, dubbing, subtitling for the deaf and
hard of hearing, audio description and voiceover- in oral and written skills of university students learning English as a foreign
language. This article assesses the effectiveness of a didactic proposal that includes 30 lesson plans through an intervention
carried out with 566 participants from eight universities in Spain. The study relies on a quantitative design, and statistical
tests (descriptive statistics and Wilcoxon Test) were carried out to estimate the effect of DAT on oral and written reception
and oral and written production of the students. Our results underline that there are statistically significant differences that
confirm students improved in the four communicative skills in the foreign language. Besides, there is a positive evolution in
students’ achievement during the study, and participants report a favourable perception of the didactic intervention.