the whole thing with subtitles saying '(speaks foreign language)' is like. aside from logistical issues with outsourced transcription services, the solution is seemingly very obvious - just transcribe the foreign language itself. like, someone who hears the audio can, if they're familiar with the 'foreign' language, glean some understanding from it, even just from individual words that are loaned or widely known - and by transcribing it accurately, that isn't denied to those reading the subtitles. even if you can't understand anything, the experience of having a character respond 'Non, mais votre chien oui!' or ‘好久不见’ is better than having them respond '(speaks foreign language)'. just like when expletives are censored in subtitles but not in audio, it's a case of the richer, fuller experience being denied for a sanitised version compatible with a production pipeline that does not see subtitles as a method of genuinely conveying meaning, but as a regulatory requirement
