Requests for captioning or subtitling of instructional ASL videos.
Occasionally someone comments on the instructional ASL videos at my YouTube
channel (youtube.com/billvicars) to tell me I should caption my videos. For
example:
Comment:"It would be better if you have subtitles so that people
who are not deaf and want to learn deaf language. They can learn from subtitle
and sign."
Response:
That's like telling a weightlifter that it would be "better" to not use any
weight on their barbell. Sure, it would be "easier" -- but the goal is to build
muscle.
Please understand that I'm "not" against captioning of my videos. Someday I'll
probably caption all of them. For now though the "text scaffolding" I've
provided via the slides and occasional "typed notes" serves as a "lite" form of
"subtitles" -- just enough to support the learning process but not so much as to
reduce the effectiveness of the use of "immersion" as a learning tool.
I'd like to point out that my student assistant is "not Deaf."
The student is learning from me without subtitles.
Instead of subtitles (as part of the teaching process) I prefer to use an
approach I call "first language scaffolding" (or "L1 scaffolding"). If you
watch my videos you will note that I tend to combine signing, PowerPoint slides,
and occasional typing.
It is important to consider the goal of this instructional program:
The goal is for you to learn how to communicate with Deaf people by signing.
Some things that are NOT goals:
1. Making sure that you "understand every little thing" is NOT a goal.
2. Making sure that you feel "comfortable" is NOT a goal.
3. Giving you practice at READING captions is NOT a goal.
When you meet a Deaf person in real life that person won't have subtitles under
their signing. Maybe someday technology will reach the point that you can
put on special glasses and watch a signer and magically have subtitles show up
under the signer's hands but as of "today" that sort of technology doesn't
exist.
So I want you to get used to learning sign language without having to read
subtitles.
Remember, my student assistants are able to do it. I'm not voicing to
them. They are using the information I'm providing them to figure out what I'm
signing.
I want your eyes on me and my assistant.
In developing my lessons I constantly consider the question:
"What amount of scaffolding (first language text, clues, or "context") will best
help my students build their target language knowledge and skills?"
Too little scaffolding and the student gets "frustrated."
Too much scaffolding and the student gets "bored" or doesn't progress in their
L2 (second language) processing skills because they are too busy using their L1
(first language) as a "crutch" (similar to trying to build muscles without
lifting weights).
It then becomes an impossible but worthy task to attempt to find the "perfect"
amount (of scaffolding).
It is impossible because with over a hundred-thousand subscribers -- each at
individually varying levels of skill and comprehension -- there will always be
those who would prefer less "captioning" (scaffolding) and those who would
prefer more.
The (partial) solution (or approach) is to offer a range of instructional videos
at varying levels of complexity and a companion website (Lifeprint) wherein
those who prefer more "text" (or context) can first go pre-study the individual
vocabulary items and sentences for a particular lesson and then come back to the
channel and watch the instructional video.
Another interesting (to me at least) aspect of (Web 2.0 or the "interactive
web") posting an instructional video to YouTube (or Facebook or various other
interactive / comment-capable platforms) has been the tendency for students to
post time-specific links in their comments below the video to ask, "What is Dr.
Bill signing at 3:15?" At which point a group-effort is set in motion wherein
those who "do" understand what is signed get a feeling of challenge,
accomplishment, and camaraderie by posting the answer.
If you feel the videos on the ASLU (YouTube.com/billvicars) channel are too fast
or too challenging, here are some tips:
1. Study each lesson ahead of time at: https://www.lifeprint.com
2. Watch the videos at half speed or slower. (See: https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/7509567
or google: "Play a YouTube video at different speeds.")
3. Use the official ASLU YouTube master playlist to progress systematically
starting from easier to harder:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6akqFwEeSpiLwRFA3ZvuOWMwPXwI7NqA That
playlist provides occasional repeats of various lessons but with different
assistants. This may help some people to better retain (remember) the
information. (Watching the same lesson with a different assistant functions as a
type of review or "spaced repetition").
- Dr. Bill
:)
p.s. In case you missed it or it didn't sink in -- remember that I'm "not"
against captioning of my videos. Someday I'll caption all of them. For now
though the "text scaffolding" I've provided via the slides and occasional "typed
notes" serves as a "lite" form of "subtitles" -- just enough to support the
learning process but not so much as to reduce the effectiveness of the use of
"immersion" as a learning tool.
Comment: This Ability Clinic • 2/15/2022
This looks like a great video! I have been learning sign language and some of
your videos are extremely helpful, but I am far from fluent at the moment. It
would be great to have closed captions available to help this material be more
accessible to those who aren't fluent in sign language? Thanks so much for all
the great work you are doing!
(Source: "Superpowers in ASL (part 3)" YouTube video ID = YSuG0xl-Zog, comment
section.)
Response:
I agree that the option to turn on captions is a great resource or benefit to
the learning process.
Captioning companies charge $7 to $10 per minute of ASL to English captioning.
Thus a 50 minute video will cost $350 to $500 to caption (fast turn-around times
cost more than slow turnaround times).
Considering the total number of videos, the captioning of this entire channel
can be done for the amazingly low price (ha) of just $105,000.
If someone in your circle of influence happens to have that kind of expendable
cash -- for donation options, see: https://www.Lifeprint.com/donate.htm
Someday I truly do hope / plan on captioning these videos. For now though I've
made the decision to focus on creating more lessons rather than captioning
existing lessons.
For those who can't understand the more advanced discussions, I encourage them
to start at the beginning of the ASLU playlist and work their way up to the more
advanced content.
The official ASLU YouTube master playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6akqFwEeSpiLwRFA3ZvuOWMwPXwI7NqA
Wrong: "I can't understand your advanced ASL video
because it isn't captioned in English."
Right: "I can't understand your advanced ASL video because I
haven't taken the time and made the effort to watch the earlier videos in the
series and learn enough ASL to empower me to understand your advanced video."
Notes:
Also see:
Captioning: (To caption or
not to caption...)