Abstract
Simulation is an effective exercise to acquire practical knowledge and skills, and can also be a useful tool to motivate students. Movie translation is quite different from normal translation for its strict limit on the number of Japanese characters used for each dialogue. Also, a timing (spotting) list, which records the length of each dialogue, is necessary for deciding the maximum Japanese characters for translation. By connecting a closed caption decoder to a computer, dialogues of a movie video and the length of each dialogue can be easily obtained, and thus make it possible to simulate in class the work of movie translators, in which many English majors are keenly interested. In-class simulation exercises can be useful to motivate students and also help them enhance their sensitivity to their native language.
