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Beyond Words: Towards a Multimodal Model of Subtitle Analysis

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63939/ajts.eh2vnp27

Keywords:

Multimodal Analysis, Subtitle Analysis, Taylor’s Multimodal Transcription Model, Audiovisual Translation (AVT)

Abstract

The present article highlights the importance of adopting a multimodal approach to subtitle analysis in audiovisual translation (AVT) research.  While existing studies have predominantly focused on verbal and textual dimensions, they have often underestimated the relevance of the interaction between linguistic, visual, and acoustic modes in audiovisual texts. To address this gap, the study adopts a multimodal perspective that conceptualizes subtitling as the outcome of meaning-making processes unfolding across multiple semiotic channels. In this regard, a subtitled excerpt from Hicham Ayouch’s 2021 comedy film Abdelinho was analyzed by using a modified version of Taylor’s (2016) multimodal transcription model (MT). The findings reveal that subtitling decisions are not shaped by language alone but are also influenced by multimodal and cinematic cues, resulting in shifts, omissions, or compensations across semiotic modes.

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Author Biographies

  • Imane Benali, Abdelmalek Essâdi University, Tétouan, Morocco

    King Fahd School of Translation, Tangier, Morocco
    Email (Corresponding author): imane.benali@etu.uae.ac.ma

  • Jamal Akabli, Abdelmalek Essâdi University, Tétouan, Morocco

    King Fahd School of Translation, Tangier, Morocco
    Email: akabli@uae.ac.ma

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مخرج “عبدلينو”: الفيلم لا يمس الدين وينتقد استغلاله؛ وباي: كوميديا مختلفة عن المعتاد. (2023، 10 يناير). مدار21. https://madar21.com/132210.html

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Romanization of Arabic Bibliography

Director of "Abdelino": Al-Film la Yams Al-Din wa Yantaqid Istighlaluh; wa Bay: Komidya Mukhtalifa ‘an Al-Mu‘tad [The film does not offend religion but criticizes its exploitation; and Bay: A comedy different from the usual]. (2023, January 10). Madar21. https://madar21.com/132210.html

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Published

2025-12-17

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Articles

How to Cite

Beyond Words: Towards a Multimodal Model of Subtitle Analysis. (2025). Arabic Journal for Translation Studies, 5(14), 1-62. https://doi.org/10.63939/ajts.eh2vnp27