Film, dialects and subtitles: an analytical framework for the study of non-standard varieties in subtitling

In this article we will propose a framework of multimodal analysis for the study of the translation of linguistic varieties in subtitled audiovisual products. Three dimensions are suggested – textual, diegetic and sociocultural. This will offer tools to identify: (a) the linguistic varieties; (b) how they were recreated in both the source text and the target text; (c) the communicative function they fulfil and how they are multimodally erected; (d) the impact of specific translation strategies and, finally, (e) the possible social mediating factors behind the translator’s decisions. We hope to highlight the need to go beyond the analysis of the spoken mode and to examine the impact of the subtitling strategies both in their multimodal and broader filmic and sociocultural contexts.