Video Dubbing Module

        Participating in this dubbing module was an unforgettable learning experience. I feel like I improved a lot in terms of pronunciation, fluency, intonation, and pacing. Since the character I dubbed spoke very fast and had a lot of energy, so I had to listen carefully and imitate her tone again and again. It was challenging at first, but after practicing many times, I started to speak more smoothly and confidently. I also became more aware of how to match my emotions and rhythm to the character’s voice.

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        Working with my group was also a big part of what made this experience so great. I’m really thankful for my group members, they were amazing partners throughout the whole project. We worked on a cartoon called “We Are Family,” and the characters we picked matched our personalities really well. We each took responsibility for our own roles, but we also worked closely together to improve the overall performance. We supported each other throughout the process, sharing ideas and giving feedback on how to improve. We weren’t afraid to point out areas that needed more practice, and that made our final version even better. I’m really glad I had such a supportive and collaborative team.

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        Comparing my performance from Phase 1 to the final presentation, I can clearly see how much I improved. In the beginning, I was nervous and didn’t dare to fully act out my lines. I needed to raise my voice to match my character’s personality, but I felt a bit shy and awkward. However, after practicing more and seeing how confidently my group members performed, I started to gain more courage. Their energy really encouraged me to try harder and be more expressive. By the time we recorded the final version, I felt way more confident and comfortable. I was no longer afraid to be loud or dramatic. I could actually enjoy the performance, and that made the experience much more enjoyable and rewarding.

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        The most challenging part for me was Phase 2: subtitle translation. We spent the most time on this part because translating Chinese into natural English isn’t always straightforward. We had to think carefully about how to preserve the original meaning while making the lines sound smooth and authentic. It required a lot of revisions and discussion, but it also helped us improve our translation and writing skills.

Although we didn’t use ChatGPT for this task, we did use an AI tool on MacBook to translate subtitles. The Mac could directly recognize the text on the screen and provide a rough translation, which we then copied and edited manually. It saved us some time, but we still needed to polish the lines ourselves to make them sound more natural and expressive.

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        Last but not least, I would definitely consider using dubbing in my future teaching. Compared to traditional speaking exercises, dubbing is much more engaging and fun. It gives students a chance to practice speaking in a lively and realistic way while also developing their listening, pronunciation, and performance skills. It can also build confidence by helping students break out of their comfort zones and try something new. I think it’s a creative and effective way to make language learning more interactive.