The Effect and the Influence of the Use of Video and Captions on Second Language Learning

The benefits of using video and captions for improving general L2 reading and listening comprehension have been well documented, however what is lacking is research that explores what contribution they may make to learning beyond just comprehension. This paper presents a study that aimed to address this gap by investigating how video plus captions impacted on the learning of second language words and phrases. Twenty Chinese learners of English participated in the study. Participants were divided into two groups; one group watched a short video sequence with captions and the other the same sequence with no captions. All were pretested prior to the treatment and completed a posttest and delayed posttest. Participants also completed an interview. Results supported a positive correlation between the presence of captions and learning of unknown words and phrases, suggesting that the use of captions does enhance micro-level learning. In the interview, participants were positive in their responses to the use of captioned video in language learning contexts. The majority of those in the captions group reported that they prioritized the reading of captions in watching the video, some reported that they were unable to pay attention to both sound and pictures at the same time.