Ideological aspects of dubbing into Arabic for children : with special reference to language variety

Yacoub, R

Abstract

Ideological Aspects of Dubbing into Arabic for
Children - with Special Reference to Language Variety
The linguistic duality of Arabic means that the choice between the high variety of Modern
Standard Arabic (MSA) and the lower variety of Colloquial Arabic has been at the centre
of ideological debate since the Arab renaissance in the 19th century. The deliberate choice
of the target language variety can be used to promote a certain ideology when translating
for the media, as audiovisual translation has always been influenced by cultural and
ideological factors, and in turn translation has influenced its target audience.
This study, which draws on the polysystem theory and the concept of norms, investigates
the ideological and non-ideological factors that lie behind the choice of MSA or Colloquial
Arabic in dubbing children's programmes. In order to achieve this aim, an empirical and
descriptive approach within the discipline of translation studies has been adopted. In order
to obtain the required data several interviews were conducted with producers, children and
their parents in a number of Arabic speaking countries, in addition to the analysis of
selected dubbed material and source versions.
The results of the empirical study show that the commercial and the educational factors
were the main motivations behind the preference of the producers for MSA in dubbing
children programmes, whereas the educational factor plays the main role for the viewers.
Other factors include religion, pan-Arabism and regionalism. The study concludes that
complex ideological and commercial factors are at play when dubbing for children, which
sheds light on the status and role of translators and the Arabic language today.

Citation

Yacoub, R. Ideological aspects of dubbing into Arabic for children : with special reference to language variety. (Thesis). Salford : University of Salford

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Oct 3, 2012
• Award Date: Jan 1, 2009