The Effects of Captioning and Keyword-captioning on the Comprehension and Awareness of EFL Learners

İnan Karagül B., Yüksel D., Day R. R.

Novitas ROYAL, vol.16, no.1, pp.122-134, 2022 (Peer-Reviewed Journal)

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 16 Issue: 1
  • Publication Date: 2022
  • Journal Name: Novitas ROYAL
  • Journal Indexes: ERIC (Education Resources Information Center)
  • Page Numbers: pp.122-134
  • Kocaeli University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

This study examined the effects of using “captions”, “subtitles” and “keyword captions” on the comprehension of audiovisual materials by English as a foreign language (EFL) learners, who were divided into two different groups, proficient and less proficient learners. It also investigated the participants’ awareness of the distinction between different types of input they were exposed to and their benefits with the help of the interviews conducted. After the participants watched the videos, they answered comprehension questions. The results of the study indicated that in the less proficient group, those who watched the videos with Turkish subtitles outperformed those who didn’t. However, in the proficient group, the videos with keyword-captions led to better results. The data gathered via the interviews revealed that the participants could identify the differences between different types of input and, while the proficient group displayed positive attitudes towards keyword-captions, the less proficient group preferred the videos with captions. The findings of this study are expected to contribute to the related research with the help of the results of each experimental condition for different levels of learners.