Audio Description as a Pedagogical Tool in the Foreign Language Classroom

Audio description (AD) is an intersemiotic mode of audiovisual translation where images are translated into words to facilitate access visual content for visually-impaired audiences. Over the last decade, it has gained prominence in foreign language research, as its formal particularities and condition a communication-oriented process-based activity present fertile ground designing innovative classroom tasks. This research was conducted with students Spanish at University Manchester, investigates participants’ perceptions about AD project. The exploratory analysis quantitative qualitative data from responses end-of-project questionnaires leads formulation ‘triple-connection hypothesis’: direct relationship between difficulty main challenges AD, usefulness developing skills required overcome those challenges, own learning progress thanks AD. findings show that perceived by especially useful integrated skills, communicative lexical greater or lesser extent depending on perceived. Lay Summary additional voice describes what happens TV show, movie theatre play when characters not speaking. helps people problems follow plot. characters’ expressions movements, places objects, reads text appears screen. It special type translation: instead translating words, translates words. Recently, become more available popular, catching attention teachers. They have started using class, creating activities write audio descriptions improve such vocabulary, record them practice Creating requires use clear language, summarising make lot careful choices. also learn needs difficulties. So far, teachers reported positive results. To continue exploring how learning, we did project Spanish, collected their opinions it. information can help design truly beneficial activities. Our completed survey end tell us difficult had been them, they found much helped improve. We discovered difficult, useful, learned more. opposite: less less. Finally, communication speaking abilities, build vocabulary sound natural, several once.