Same Language Subtitling (SLS)
is simply the idea of accurately subtitling (on a phonemic level)
the lyrics of existing film songs (or music videos),
in the 'same' language that they are sung in. 

​Basically, Karaoke text for mass reading! 

This approach is both simple and cost effective. 
The Problem:
According to the U.S. National Center for Educational Sciences (NCES)  (U.S. Department of Education and the Institute of Education Sciences)
  • Fully 1/3 of all American High School 9th graders read below the 6th-grade equivalence and half of those will be functionally illiterate by the time they reach adulthood
        +   93 million Americans read at or below 'basic' reading levels
        +    an additional 95 million Americans struggle with reading comprehension.
  • Yet, those same teenagers are watching four hours of television per day, plus two hours of music video, and two hours of computer games.
    • The majority of American students (and adults in general) consume more than eight hours of media per day.
  • (U.S. Department of Education and the Institute of Education Sciences)

         The solution is to enrich media consumption with reading practice.

                     Same-Language-Subtitling (SLS) is a proven effective method
                                   of reinforcing reading practice through popular media.
                                                See research     See student generated samples of SLS
​
​Recognition that SLS works!
In 2009, Bill Clinton endorsed SLS: 
  • "Same Language Subtitling doubles the number of functional readers among primary school children. .... SLS is a small thing that has a staggering impact on people's lives." President Bill Clinton


Hack literacy! Add Same-Language-Subtitling to all Music Video!  
           SLS is a deceptively simple innovation that is already delivering regular and inescapable reading practice to 150+ million viewers worldwide. Eye-tracking research has shown that viewers naturally synchronize the auditory and textual information while watching SLS music video. "When SLS is integrated into popular media, reading happens automatically and subconsciously."  PlanetRead 

These amateur samples of SLS were produced by  high school students as a demonstration of the value that SLS can add to music video. 
Important elements of SLS:
  • Accurate text (Exactly matching the audio)
  • Accurate synchronization (Phonemically matched to audio) (Good quality subtitling impacts reading growth, however, Kinetic subtitling such as Karaoke-style and or 'Bouncing Ball' allows for a closer synchronization between the audio and the text on the phonemic level and has a stronger effect on literacy growth.)
  • Engaging Media (High Interest) (Preferably at or above instructional reading level but below frustration level) Music Lyrics have the strongest impact on engagement and therefore strongest potential of impacting reading growth. I have had strong success working with Broadway Musicals and popular music video. I have also used Poetry, famous speeches, audio books, and film clips.
  • Clear Vocal Audio (Strong Modeling) ( No fading, diluted, or secondary-artists as in Karaoke) 
  • Embedded Text (Text can't be turned on or off-----often called 'Hard' Subtitling)
  • Repetition  (Naturally occurs in song lyrics) and any media that will be replayed, rehearsed or memorized
  • Engagement Activity (Cloze-Reading Worksheets, Analysis/Response Questions, Rehearsed Readings, Singing, and Student-produced media)
SLS subtitling and reading activities can use various formats of captioning: Basic Subtitled Text, Bouncing-Ball Text, Karaoke-style Subtitling, Dynamic Text, and Kinetic Typography and even Closed Captioning. The most important element is highly synchronized text.
​
​These amateur samples of SLS were produced by  high school students as a demonstration of the value that SLS can add to music video.


​Is 'Closed-Captioned' (CC) subtitling good enough to impact literacy?

  • While CC is a good start,
    • it does not have the literacy impact of SLS subtitling. 
    • While regular captioning is definitely a bonus and should be used where available,
      • studies indicate that improving the visual quality and increasing the synchronization between visual and auditory model significantly impacts growth in reading fluency and comprehension.  
        • First, Closed Captioning is not available on most Music Video.
        • Second, most media requires CC to be activated.
        • ​Third, and most problematic, the quality of CC often deters the use of CC. 
        • Fourth, CC is rarily synchronized to the audio and there is often a lag between the audio and the viewed text. This deters the simultaneous processing of audio and text and greatly reduces the impact of CC as a literacy tool.
  • The following short videos compare the regular 'Closed Captioning' (CC) available on most video media to the addition of SLS-style captioning.  ​
(The SLS subtitling additions to 2nd and 3rd videos in this demo was done by a high school student as part of a technology project. If the quality of the subtitling can be improved so dramatically by an amateur caption-er, imagine how much more can be done by professional editors.)

Made with Padlet

Made with Padlet

Made with Padlet
Another factor in SLS is the intentional use of engagement activities.
  • Engagement Activity (Cloze-Reading Worksheets, Analysis/Response Questions, Rehearsed Readings, Singing, and Student-produced media)
In India, for Mass TV consumtion, enrichment activities are provided through local newspapers. The following is a portion from a classroom activity. 
 
(This is a sample Engagement Activity)
 Listen/watch video at least three times. Respond to the activity:
1) And if they _________                           
As Lucifer ___________ 
The ___________ 
The sword!  
____________! 
In your multitudes                                      
Scarce to be counted  
 ____________ the darkness  
With order and light  
You are the sentinels  
2) Explain the reference to ‘Lucifer’.  What comparison is Javert making? Why is this ironic?

3) From the context define ‘multitudes’.

4) Find and explain the personification and the allusion

5)  From the context  define ‘sentinels’. What does this have to do with Javert's mission in life?
           
​
Important elements of SLS:
  • Accurate text (Matching the audio)
  • Accurate synchronization (Karaoke style or Bouncing Ball allows for a closer synchronization between audio and text on the phonemic level)
  • Engaging Media (High Interest) (Preferably at or above instructional reading level but below frustration level)
  • Clear Vocal (Strong Audio Model)
  • Embedded Text (Text can't be turned on or off-----often called 'Hard' Subtitling)
  • Repetition  (Naturally occurs in song lyrics) any media that will be replayed, rehearsed or memorized
  • Engagement Activity (Cloze-Reading Worksheets, Analysis/Response Questons, Rehearsed Readings/Singing, Student produced media)
SLS subtitling and reading activities can use various formats of captioning: Basic Subtitled Text, Bouncing-Ball Text, Karaoke-style Subtitling, Dynamic Text, and Kinetic Typography. SLS can also enrich any media content -- Dramatic speech, poetry, story telling.
This approach is both simple and cost effective. It is not dependent on school systems or fancy educational programs. However, it is dependent on public awareness and demand. Please pass this post and link on to your friends, ask them to join this cause. Also ---use the captioning that is already available. Start demanding and consuming higher quality subtitling services, make it available to your children.

Also see:

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  BRUCE DEITRICK PRICE Education Researcher and Advocate
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The real challenge is how to best get this tool into homes and in front of young children. Bruce Deitrick Price is a tireless advocate for real solutions to our literacy and education crisis. His blogs make excellent reading and should be a mainstay for any Reading Teacher!

Professionally Rendered Kinetic Topography 
(If your school blocks Youtube you will not see video below) 

On the professional level, Disney corporation deserves a good deal of credit for experimenting with Kinetic Typography and SLS. They have many of their musicals re-edited with 'Sing-Along' text and they have developed some interactive content. Go Disney



References:
http://nces.ed.gov/NAAL/kf_demographics.asp
https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http://www.planetread.org/pdf/Research%2520Summary_SLS.pdf&pli=1


Most of the 'SLS - lyrics onscreen' samples you will find on this site were done by students as part of a reading literacy demonstration project. 
No copyright infringement is intended, these videos are intended to demonstrate the potential educational impact of including dynamic-text-on-screen (SLS) --- especially in the context of popular music. 

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(If your school blocks Youtube you will not see video below) ​These amateur samples of SLS were produced by  high school students as a demonstration of the value that SLS can add to music video.
Click on the blue button to see more video samples!