By Rushali Chanana

Video: Master the Art of Transcription and Subtitling for a Successful Career (Modlingua Live)

Transcription, translation and subtitling are linked. A mistake in the transcript carries through to the translation and then to the subtitles, so good subtitles start with a good transcript. This Modlingua Live session walked through all three steps.

Transcription

Margaret explained that transcription turns audio or video into written text. It is used heavily for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers, so a transcript also notes background sounds such as thunder. There are two types:

• Full verbatim: every word and every non-verbal sound.
• Non-verbatim: unnecessary speech is left out so the text reads easily.

Practical tips: save your work often, transcribe first and correct later, use short forms for names and terms that repeat, and re-read the whole document at the end. Poor audio can often be fixed with editing software that boosts volume and cuts background noise. Ravi Kumar added that listening to the whole recording once before starting helps you understand the subject and avoid errors.

Translation

Ravi Kumar stressed cultural awareness over literal translation, using Hindi sayings that lose all meaning when translated word for word. Keep the language simple, summarise where needed without dropping key words, respect the speaker's style, and skip fillers like "oh", "uh" and "um".

Subtitling

A subtitle is the translated transcript shown on screen. Subtitles make videos accessible, help people who watch with the sound off, and improve search visibility. They are limited by time and space, so the session shared these working rules:

• Each subtitle should ideally be a complete sentence with subject, verb and object.
• Keep lines to about 35 characters (40 at most) and no more than two lines. Keep the upper line shorter so more of the picture stays clear.
• Show one line for up to 4 seconds and two lines for up to 6, with a gap of at least 0.2 seconds between subtitles.
• Change the subtitle when the shot changes.
• Use ellipses for hesitation, a hyphen for a second speaker, quotation marks for quotes and italics for songs or background sound. Avoid all capitals, which are harder to read.

Vineeta then showed the exact steps for adding subtitles to a video. Shubhangi discussed the Indian and international markets, including asking for extra time and payment when a video is hard to subtitle. Ravi Kumar encouraged translators to take on new kinds of projects to grow their skills, and Dr. Yamina closed with advice on how to keep improving.

Need transcription, translation or subtitles for your own content? See Modlingua's language services.