Subtitles
 

I'm curious, do most big nations have a problem with subtitles or is this a peculiarity of Americans? How do YOU feel about subtitles?

On behalf of Norway, I'd like to state that we are pro subtitles. It's been the standard here for foreign language programs rather than dubbing them to norwegian.

I think it's good for different reasons. First of all, I think it improves the english skills of the average norwegian and possibly other languages as well. Second, when you're dubbing something, you're tampering with the product. For example, Arnold Schwarzenegger talking dutch is just not .. quite right. I like the products in their natural, untampered, ancestral state - the way they were designed and meant to be.

I don't have a problem with subtitles at all. I think adding voice-overs to foreign movies discredits the work of the actors. I really don't find subtitles annoying or disturbing to my enjoyment at all.

Yeah, I agree. Subtitles are the main reason I speak good English and can understand quite a bit of Spanish (even though I've never studied it). But I believe that can only be the case with smaller nations where the national TV and film industry isn't strong enough to compete with foreign, mostly American production. I think it's also a lot easier and cheaper to make subtitles than to dub all of it (although there's a recent trend in Croatia to dub kids cartoons, which is fairly annoying as I can no longer see any of the big animated blockbusters in their original version in the theater).

I'm not sure if this is still the case, but I believe a lot of European nations dub English language films so I'm not sure how they deals with subtitles. I think it's also a major reason why most of these nations have fairly poor English language skills (how many French or Italians do you know that speak good English?).

adidasss, I agree, I think substituting dubbing for subtitles would really help raise the level of language skills in many of the european nations. I also agree that subtitles as the standard may be a small nation phenomenon. We could have a more extensive dubbing industry, but subtitles are the norm here now and what people want and expect so there's no market.

Kids movies are dubbed here as well, but they usually show both versions in the cinemas .. So if you'd rather watch "Gake no Ue no Ponyo" rather than "Ponyo På Klippen Ved Havet", that's always a possibility.

This is my 3rd post after abandoning the previous 2.
My first post was rather flippant. I drafted out something like: The English don't mind subtitles...providing they're in English! Which I thought was an unfair response to your question adidasss.
Then I wrote that, I personally didn't mind subtitles at all. Especially if the film was worth watching. While being true I don't think it's what you wanted to hear.

In Britain's case, generally speaking, we probably have a similar attitude to the Americans (if what you say is true). In that we tend to avoid films with subtitles like the plague.
The amount of times I've heard a collected groan of disapproval when one comes on the TV bears witness to that.
It's a shame really cos there's some great films that'll never get the praise they deserve in this country because of that attitude.

When I watch english movies, I usually prefer to have english subtitles on. My hearing is not superb and sometimes I just can't catch what people are saying, so it helps!

Haha, yeah I do that too. I think it's a side effect of watching films with subtitles, you get used to having all the dialog written down so you can't really miss anything. It's really annoying when you don't hear something and you can't read what the person said (not to mention watching a film in some screwed up English/Southern accent).

Speaking of which, do the English actually watch Scottish (like Ken Loach) films without subtitles?

I always have subtitles on, English or not. I guess it's kinda two reasons, I feel I might not hear something probably so I have them just in case.....plus it always kept my spelling ahead of the game in School, rofl, that was always the classy excuse, but I did used to be able to spell the most random words, so I assume it helped.

^Oh yeah, forgot about that potential benefit .. improves general writing skills!