ClipFlair is a web platform that allows users to learn foreign languages through interactive activities involving captioning and voicing over video clips. The platform provides tools for uploading, sharing, and creating captioning and voicing over activities. It also includes social networking features for collaboration. Some example activities described are filling in gaps in subtitles of a film scene and creating an audio description tourist guide for the blind. The platform supports over 15 languages and is part of an international partnership between universities.

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ClipFlair
Foreign Language Learning through Interactive Revoicing
and Captioning of Clips
Stavroula Sokoli & Patrick Zabalbeascoa
Universitat Pompeu Fabra

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Needs
• New educational tools and ideas for foreign
language learning
• Online educational materials for lesser used
languages
• Raising awareness on accessibility issues (audio
description for the visually impaired, captions for
the hard of hearing)
• Authentic material enhanced with authentic tasks

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Why Clips?
• Audiovisual material is a common resource in
foreign language learning
▫ film scenes, documentaries, news, animation, songs,
home-made videos, etc.
• It introduces variety and provides exposure to
cultural and linguistic aspects of communication in
their context

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Why Flair?
• Learning by doing
▫ more effective than learning by watching
• Active approach, hands-on experience
▫ increases motivation
• “Tangible”, shareable result: the captioned or
revoiced clip
▫ as opposed to note-taking

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What is captioning?
• To add writing to a clip
Intertitles
Foreign film subtitles
Also: subtitles for the deaf and Hard-of-Hearing, annotations,
speech bubbles, comments

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What is revoicing?
• To add speech to a clip
▫ Dubbing: a new sound track and especially dialogue
in a different language
▫ Voice over: words that are spoken in a movie or
television program by a person who is not seen
▫ Audio description: description of what is happening
in the film - for the blind and visually impaired
▫ Free commentary, karaoke singing, reciting

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What is ClipFlair?
• A web platform for foreign language learning
through interactive revoicing and captioning of clips
• A community of learners and teachers who are
interested in using audiovisual material for language
learning in an active and motivating way

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What is a ClipFlair activity?
• An activity for foreign language learning whereby
the learner is asked to caption or revoice a clip
• It contains at least one clip and instructions
▫ Example: The learner chooses to “be” one of the
protagonists in a film scene and substitute the
character’s voice with his/her voice.

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ClipFlair offers:
• The Gallery: for uploading, accessing and sharing
activities, clips and other materials
http://gallery.clipflair.net
• The Studio: for creating and using activities through
revoicing and captioning tools
http://studio.clipflair.net
• The Social Network: for interacting, collaborating
etc. in forums and groups http://social.clipflair.net
• The Conceptual Framework establishing guidelines
for activity creation and evaluation criteria

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The Gallery and the Studio

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The Social Network

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Subtitling activity for first-time users:
Fill in the gaps in the subtitles of a film scene

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Audio description activity:
Edinburgh tourist guide for the blind

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The Partnership
Estonia
Ireland
UK
Portugal
Poland
Romania
Spain
Greece

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Languages targeted in the project
Arabic, Basque, Catalan, Chinese, English, Estonian,
Greek, Irish, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese,
Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Ukrainian

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More info?
clipflair.net
facebook.com/ClipFlair
twitter.com/ClipFlair
clipflair@cti.gr
ClipFlair Conference, Barcelona, 18-19 July 2014