International Captioning Project
Conclusion
Multi-lingual captioning is technically possible in Eastern and Western Europe and Latin America. Caption and subtitle data created to provide access for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers can be used as a basis for creating language translations and, just as importantly, for turning television into a language teacher. Existing line-21 and teletext technologies can be used to achieve this. As we share more media and information worldwide, captions can do more than just translate the audio portion of a TV show: they can play an important role in education and in creating new markets for producers of programs worldwide.
Solutions for a commercially viable Asian language multi-lingual system are not far off. The day is rapidly approaching where technology will allow viewers in different countries to watch the same program from a single feed with subtitles in their own language.
