Bookbeat
Dialect
for All Seasons
featuring Selective Subtitling of Non-Standard Speech on
Japanese Television,
by Ann Wehmeyer
Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures
In Selective Subtitling of Non-Standard Speech on Japanese Television, Wehmeyer analyzes non-standard Japanese speech, including regional, non-native, and rough varieties, as it is selectively subtitled on Japanese television. Her study reveals that, apart from enhancing intelligibility, subtitling serves to essentialize emotion, and to reinforce cultural ritual. The decision of whether or not to subtitle sends subtle messages relating to marginality with respect to normative patterns of speech and behavior. American television lacks the variety of subtitling options adopted in Japan, yet similar messages of normativity are conveyed.
