Reception studies and audiovisual translation: eye tracking research at the service of training in subtitling

In a recent article about viewers' choice of shows and series, The Guardian referred to contemporary television as "comfort TV" and "prestige television", including all those streaming services that have recently pushed the very concept of television beyond traditional borders, while also giving it a new, vibrant life. ‘Comfort’ is most likely referred to the ease of consumption, both in terms of space (with portable technologies) and time (no longer univocally fixed by broadcasters). ‘Prestige’, as the quote says, is related to the incredible, and increasing, array of choices available; whereas quality can be referred to overall production standards, but perhaps not always to translation. As consumption of contemporary television, including streaming services, increases and diversifies, the need to understand, monitor and cater for the viewers' needs and expectations is ever more important, also through the lens of translation. This article discusses a recent experiment on the reception of a subtitled TV series by young Italian viewers, carried out using eye tracking and questionnaires. The experiment is here presented mainly to highlight the relevance, and the great potential, of reception studies applied to the training of audiovisual translators, and more specifically of subtitlers. After all, learning an eminently practical skill has to encompass as thorough a knowledge of its users as possible. Inspired by the curiosity of a subtitling company about viewers’ comprehension and appreciation of subtitled audiovisual texts viewed on screens of different sizes, this experiment was conducted using authentic subtitled materials and, as often happens with experimental research, it provided results that were largely unexpected, also bringing to the fore issues (such as reading speed) that had not been considered central at the onset. In the following sections, key concepts in which the experiment is grounded will be explored, followed by the discussion of issues which have emerged from the experiment itself. As for the results, only a few will be presented, with a view to highlighting their relevance for the training of subtitlers.