Audiovisual content plays a leading role in global communication. Subtitles have become a key tool to make content accessible and reach a global audience. However, when producing content for children, the translation and dubbing process calls for different technical requirements to be taken into account, that are different to those applied in subtitling for adults.
A professional translation agency is aware that a good subtitling service goes far beyond mere transcription. Understanding the specific audience is of utmost importance, as a child’s reading speed, information retention, and cognitive abilities differ significantly from those of an adult.
1. The Challenge of Speed
The biggest technical difference between subtitling videos for children and adults is the speed at which the text appears on screen. This depends directly on the average reading speed of each age group, and in the case of children, a considerably slower speed is required:
- Technical standards for adults: Industry standards set a reading speed of 15 to 17 characters per second (cps) for general or adult content. This speed allows the viewer to follow the dialogue while watching what is happening on-screen.
- Slow reading in childhood: Guidelines and research on subtitling for companies aimed at children recommend a significantly slower speed. Some expert sources recommend speeds of 13 cp, or even lower, so that children have enough time to read the text without missing out on the action. As a result, subtitles for children contain significantly fewer characters than those aimed at adults.
2. Linguistic simplicity and controlled cultural context
Professional native translators of children’s content do more than simply keep track of the character count. Vocabulary and syntax choices are the key to ensuring understanding.
- Cultural adaptation: When subtitling a video for export, cultural simplification is of utmost importance. Professional native translators call on their expertise to replace highly specific cultural references (games, customs, or local characters) with universal equivalents that preserve the scene’s meaning without overwhelming a child’s attention.
- Priority given to immediate understanding: Simpler, more direct language with basic grammar is used. Slang and ambiguous cultural references that might be difficult for young audiences or children learning a second language to understand are avoided.
3. Impact on subtitling strategy for businesses
For companies producing or distributing children’s and educational content (streaming platforms or production studios), understanding these specific characteristics is the key to breaking into new markets.
- Maximizing retention and learning: If subtitles are too fast or the language is too complex, children may get distracted and not quite grasp the main message. Optimized video subtitling boosts the effectiveness and profitability of content production investments.
- Compliance with standards: Adapting to children’s reading speeds is not only best practice but, in many markets, particularly for educational or accessibility programs, a mandatory technical or regulatory requirement.
To sum up, subtitling for children follows a specific protocol that prioritizes a slower speed and linguistic clarity. By placing their trust in a team that understands these critical differences, such as Blarlo, companies make sure their audiovisual content effectively reaches their youngest audience anywhere in the world.
