Transletters. International Journal of Translation and Interpreting, 9(2025), pp. 1-3 ISSN 2605-2954

Talaván, N., Lertola, J., & Fernández Costales, A.

(2024). Didactic audiovisual translation and foreign

language education. Routledge. 160 pp. ISBN: 978-10-

32277-58-5

Book review

Blanca Fernández Polo

Universidad de Córdoba

Received: 20/07/2025

Accepted: 13/11/2025

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Didactic audiovisual translation and foreign language education is a monograph written

by Noa Talaván, Jennifer Lertola and Alberto Fernández-Costales and

published in 2024. In the introduction of this book, the authors highlight the

definition of Didactic Audiovisual Translation (DAT) as the combination of

the different modes that constitute audiovisual translation, such as subtitling or

dubbing with a pedagogical use, since the main use of this discipline is to

improve the linguistic skills of the students in a lesson plan. They also

explained the objectives of implementing techniques of audiovisual translation

(AVT) activities at institutes of modern languages.

This is explained deeply in the first chapter, titled “Didactic AVT: Prior

considerations.” The main points that characterize this chapter are the main

AVT modes: subtitling, dubbing, audio description, voice-over, and free

commentary. The authors delve into existing literature on the empirical

evidence of each AVT mode. I would like to highlight the one conducted by

González-Vera, in which the author explores the way in which DAT-based

lesson plans foster the acquisition of specialized terminology rather than

traditional lesson plans. I would like to emphasize that according to existing

Blanca Fernández Polo

literature, the most explored and used DAT modes a few years ago were

subtitling and dubbing, and the other ones were less studied. It is due to the

rapid technological advancements and the symbiotic relationship between

research and innovation, which have meant an exponential growth of research

in other DAT modes.

In the second chapter, “Educational bases or didactic AVT in FLE,” the

benefits of incorporating AVT activities into language teaching and learning

processes are set. It is a well-known fact that the implementation of this

resource may offer potential advantages in primary and secondary schools, as it

allows students to learn English in a different and more creative way than they

are used to, and it also prepares them to create content as if they were teachers.

Activities such as subtitling and dubbing are beneficial at primary school, since

they make children acquire vocabulary or develop their mediation competence

in a more attractive way for them.

Chapters 3, 4 and 5 follow the same structure. The third chapter, titled

“Didactic subtitling and didactic SDH,” begins with a definition of the

formerly mentioned AVT modes and their language combinations: intralingual,

interlingual, and creative. From the information in the book, it can be inferred

that creative subtitling could be a more than beneficial activity since it adapts

to a diversity of learners’ interests. Students are expected to produce a different

version of the dialogues of the original audiovisual text, and the reaction to all

the elements that appear here creates a special effect on each student. Then, in

another subdivision of the chapter, the authors explain the skills and abilities

that are developed through the process of subtitling: reception, production,

and mediation. These skills are enhanced due to the fact that students should

listen to the original text, then write the subtitles using a technological device

and, finally, transfer the message to another person who has not listened to the

original text. I strongly believe that it is essential to develop these skills to

improve in learning a foreign language. In the case of didactic, subtitles for the

deaf and hard of hearing (SDH), the implementation of tasks related to SDH is

crucial since the main aim of this mode is to improve the quality of people who

suffer from hearing’s problems and to allow them to participate in these

activities, despite their circumstances. At the end of the chapter, the authors

provide the readers with some guidelines and examples on how to assess DAT-

based tasks, so that the student can understand better the way these types of

activities should be done.

Didactic audiovisual translation and foreign language education

In the fourth chapter, titled “Didactic dubbing and didactic voice-over,”

the points that are explained in detailed are identical. Nevertheless, the AVT

modes in this section are categorised within revoicing modes: didactic dubbing

and didactic voice-over. This chapter begins with a description of both modes

and what they offer. Although it says that these modes offer less possibilities

for application than didactic subtitling, they can also take multiple forms that

can help students to improve their level of the foreign language they are

learning. The types of these modes are the same as the previous ones:

intralingual, interlingual, and creative. What is more, the skills language learners

are expected to develop are the same as with subtitling, but they go a step

further as all the types of listening are developed: extensive, intensive, selective,

responsive, autonomous, and interactive, while doing the task. It is important

to always remember that the objective of this kind of exercises is not to train

students to become audiovisual translators, but to show them a different,

original, and effective way of enhancing their language skills.

The last chapter, with the title “Didactic audio description and didactic

free commentary,” focuses on Didactic Audiovisual Description and the Free

Didactic Commentary. Firstly, it gives an overview of the main types of both,

differentiating between intersemiotic modes as well as intralinguistic and

interlingual approaches to free commentary. Although they are considered the

least studied, there are several publications that let us know their didactic

possibilities, which also explore how their tools can improve trainees’

production skills. Besides, it also provides some guidelines for implementing

these modes with examples of assessment and lesson plans, as in the previous

chapters.

Last but not least, this monograph provides a conclusion which

summarises the main ideas that have been developed in the book. The authors

emphasise the importance of researching in this area, as it has not been fully

explored yet, and they introduce some possible future lines of research.

Additionally, they point out that it would be useful to create more projects in

order to assess its impact in larger groups. Therefore, they consider that

combining different methods and instruments, such as interviews,

questionnaires, and statistics, may allow to discover new forms of DAT.

Finally, they explain some areas that have not been delved into yet.

In summary, Didactic audiovisual translation and foreign language education

describes in a highly structured and explicit way the different modes of DAT,

as well as the skills and abilities that can be enhanced from each one.