Subtitling software as a means for enhancing translation competence

If we look at how face-to-face translation classes are usually structured, we can see that they often do not offer tools and contents able to prepare future translators to deal with an ever more digitalised world. Moreover, technology is a great resource that cannot be left unexploited, as it can give an enormous contribution to translation learning and researching. That is why a more extensive use of IT aimed at enhancing students' translation competence can and should be made. What is proposed in this paper is to explore the potential of bringing audiovisual translation and, in particular, subtitling software into the classroom and turn it into an active tool for raising students' awareness of concrete translational problems. Hence, the methodology and implementation of a pilot study conducted at the University of Padua using the freeware subtitling simulator LvS 2.5.2 along with Translog 2006 will be discussed. The functioning of the two pieces of software will be described and examples of how activities can be designed and implemented in class through these tools will be given. In particular, three interlingual subtitling activities from English to Italian will be looked at.