Enhancing Film Industry Education for Multilingual Students through Translation and Localization

When speaking about the film industry, we need to be looking at it as something global and worldwide. Films are made across the globe by filmmakers of all nations, backgrounds, styles, and native languages. But they are also made for the entire world to see and enjoy.

This is why it’s no wonder there are thousands of multilingual students studying outside their home countries or simply outside their speaking zones. They are looking for knowledge and skill in directing, producing, screenwriting, and other roles in the film industry. To enhance their skills and become more proficient in what they do, translation and localization can be used.

Let’s take a look at how translation and localization in film industry education can enhance it for multilingual students.

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Translation & Localization in the Film Industry

Let’s begin by explaining what localization and translation are and why it plays a crucial role in making a movie successful worldwide.

In the domain of the film industry, translation is one part of the localization process. Localization is the process of adapting a film so that it suits the preferences of a specific target audience, typically in a designated region or country. Localization includes several important steps:

  • Translating all movie dialogues into the target language
  • Changing and adapting jokes, localisms, and idioms
  • Adapting cultural references

Also, there are two basic ways to portray it in a film:

  • Subtitles
  • Voice-over

Subtitles are great for learning foreign languages. It’s even seen as the reason some countries have more people speaking a language other than their native when compared to countries that prefer voice-overs. In both cases, localization is necessary so that the movie is relatable, more interesting, and more understandable to the selected audience. Without localization, some parts of the film dialogue may remain unclear, and the cultural references wouldn’t have any effect on the audience.

Translation & Localization in Film Industry Education

The film industry in the USA employs more than 420 thousand people, and it is a competitive market. This is why students need all the help they can get to stand out.

Translation and localization can be used outside of the frame we’ve given above and used to improve the education of thousands of talented students who are looking for learning and work opportunities.

So, what are translation and localization in the domain of film industry education?

Once again, we are talking about adaptation, but in this case we adapt the following:

  • Courses
  • Learning materials
  • Resources
  • Lectures

Considering how diverse and creative the film industry is, it needs talented people regardless of their origin and roots. But, if the student doesn’t speak the primary language of instruction, their education quality will suffer.

This is why educational institutions are hiring translation professionals and best translation companies to localize the entire education experience for these multilingual students.

Benefits For Multilingual Students

Now that we’ve covered the basics let’s take a look at the benefits of localizing study materials for multilingual students in the film industry. How does this help them have a supreme education experience and enhance their education? Let’s see.

Improved Comprehension

When the study materials are adapted to the students, it’s much easier for them to understand it and thus retain more important information. Reading and learning in their native language creates a more natural study environment and thus makes them more focused.

Saving Time

Studying outside your native language means studying outside your comfort zone. Multilingual students have to invest way more energy into understanding every lesson and can get tired and burnt out faster.

It also takes them more time to go over the lessons since they might need to stop and translate certain parts and look up the words they don’t understand.

This is why localization would save them time. They’d be learning faster and needing fewer breaks.

Boosting Engagement

Fear of speaking a foreign language publicly, especially in front of your peers is an omnipresent phenomenon and something you can see in every school across the globe. Students have speaking anxiety or simply don’t want to put themselves out there when they’re not fully confident about using the language.

This means that localization in film industry education would motivate students to:

  • Share their ideas
  • Take an active part in projects
  • Ask for and give feedback
  • Express themselves fully

This is extremely important, especially in such a creative industry.

Finer Practical Skills

Finally, film industry education is heavily filled with practical skills and real-life assignments that resemble those they’ll be encountering after graduation. Without these practical skills, most students will find it hard to get a job.

Thanks to localization and translation, film industry students will have better writing, editing, producing, acting, or other creative and technical skills. This is because they’ll be more confident and interested in taking an active part in such activities. This will equip them for all future endeavors and projects they’ll be working on.

In case you’re a student and need more practical writing knowledge, try reading quality essay examples. You can find them online and practice your writing skills.

Better Academic Results

When students are encouraged to take part, share ideas, ask for advice, and be more confident, it’s only natural that their academic results will be much better. With localized study materials, they get all of the above and manage to achieve better results.

This is because they study with more focus and motivation, understand the materials better, and acquire new skills and knowledge naturally.

Final Thoughts

Translation and localization in the film industry education benefit all parties included. Firstly, students would have an overall better experience and achieve greater academic results. Secondly, the film industry would benefit by having more talented and well-educated people encouraged to start working and give their contribution to this form of art.

This proves that the more you invest in students, the more they’ll be able to give back to you.

Author’s Bio

Olivia Evans is a language expert and a blogger. She writes about the power of languages for brain activity, business and social opportunities, self-confidence, and even mental health.

FIN Staff

Film Industry Network News Desk

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