This study examined the effects of captions on Korean EFL learners’ listening comprehension and vocabulary learning. 66 students from two intact classes at a public high school were randomly assigned to (i) the captioned (n = 33) or (ii) the uncaptioned viewing condition (n = 33). Both groups of participants watched two video clips twice. A multiple-choice comprehension test was administered immediately after the second viewing of each clip. After the participants finished watching the second video and completed the relevant comprehension test, they
completed vocabulary tests. The results showed that the caption group performed significantly better on the listening comprehension test than the comparison group did.
This study also found that captions were beneficial for vocabulary learning as compared to no captions. Specifically, captions were found to have positive effects on the learning of several aspects of vocabulary knowledge, including (i) word-form recognition, (ii) meaning recognition, and (iii) meaning recall. Watching captioned videos appears to supply textual support for language learners concerning what they heard in the videos, consequently increasing their comprehension of the information presented. In addition, imagery support provided by video input and textual
information from captions seems to enhance L2 vocabulary learning. |