Many television programmes rely on language translation to help viewers understand foreigners. Indeed, without language translators working behind the scenes, some shows simply wouldn’t work. After all, it is vital that viewers are able to understand what they see and here on the screen.
However, rarely is language translation needed when English speaking people appear on TV in America. After all, while some of the words are different in US English than in the version used in Britain, the majority are the same.
But one expert has suggested that when singer song-writer, TV personality and model Cheryl Cole appears on the American version of The X Factor, language translators may be required so that subtitles can be added when she speaks.
A poll conducted by Today Translation revealed that a number of expert linguists think the celebrity is the fourth most in need of subtitling, Digital Spy reports. She does indeed speak with a strong Geordie accent that some people may find hard to understand.
Responding to the findings, managing director of Today Translations Jurga Zilinskiene said: “We think that Americans will love Cheryl Cole as much as Brits do. But we know that even many Brits have trouble understanding Geordie accents.
“We also wanted to know whether our linguists thought that Cheryl Cole might need subtitles when she becomes a judge on the US version of The X Factor.”
Meanwhile, the executive added: “She is an unofficial ambassador for Geordies. We are big fans of not just Cheryl Cole and Wayne Rooney but also of regional accents and dialects in general. We want to help them survive and flourish.”
The differences in regional accents in the UK can be pronounced and very often people from one place struggle to comprehend what is being said by those from another. The way people from Newcastle speak is one of the most distinctive.