Using Subtitles To Enhance Foreign Language Learning
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This article analyses a novel foreign language learning activity consisting on the students' production of video subtitles. With the help of specific subtitling software, this strategy allows students to understand foreign language acquisition and production from a different perspective. One of the main advantages of this strategy is that, since it makes students create language within a familiar and motivating context (audiovisual extracts), they feel they play an active role in their own learning process, so their language acquisition is enhanced. Besides, the combination of audio, visual, and textual information makes this technique very valid for all types of students Este artículo analiza una nueva actividad para el aprendizaje de lenguas extranjeras consistente en que los alumnos produzcan subtítulos de vídeo. Con la ayuda de un software de subtitulación específico, esta estrategia permite comprender la adquisición y la producción del idioma desde otra perspectiva. Una de sus ventajas es que, al hacer que los alumnos produzcan lengua dentro de un contexto familiar y motivador (extractos audio-visuales), sienten que desempeñan un papel activo en su propio proceso de aprendizaje; así, mejora su adquisición lingüística. Además, su combinación de información auditiva, visual y textual la hace válida para todos tipo de alumnos.
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... Plethora of research have shown promising outcomes for the addition of captions in the second language multimedia input (e.g., Koolstra & Beentjes, 1999;Lertola, 2012;Zanón, 2006). Koolstra and Beentjes (1999) stated that learning from authentic input is more beneficial, not because the learner intends to remember, but because the learner is attempting to recognize the content of the input. ...
... The results proved that the audiovisual side bested the written group in both receptively and productively. The findings in the mentioned area of the study conform with those in earlier studies (e.g., Alharthi, 2020;Bisson et al., 2014;Munoz et al, 2021;Muñoz, 2022;Perego et al., 2010;Uchihara, 2022;Zanón, 2006) in the common conclusion that audiovisual input with subtitles is constructive in learning words. ...
... Another likely argument for the advantage of audiovisual group over the written one, originates from the cognitive atmosphere of the instructional environment when the source of input is in authentic form. This is in line with Zanón (2006) and Perego et al. (2010), since grasping ideas naturally is more beneficial because the learner is attempting to learn the content, rather than attempting to memorize. ...
Please cite this paper as follows: Bagheri Nevisi, R., & Modarresi, M. H. (2023). The effect of audiovisual input on EFL learners' receptive and productive vocabulary knowledge of concrete and abstract words. Teaching English Language, 17(2), 325-360. Abstract Not only is vocabulary a pivotal constituent of language learning, but also it does constitute an important part of the instructional process of a foreign language. Considering the undeniable role of vocabulary plays in language learning, this study explored the effects of audiovisual input on EFL learners' receptive and productive knowledge of concrete and abstract words. To this end, 24 upper-intermediate English language learners were selected from Iran Language institute in Qom, with an age range of 15 to 25. A 30-item pretest of concrete and abstract words was administered prior to the study. The words were selected from one movie and its corresponding book that included both receptive and productive vocabularies. During the eight-session treatment, the control group was instructed through the written input (the book) and the experimental group was taught via the audiovisual input (the movie). Results of the delayed posttest pointed to significant differences between the two groups in terms of vocabulary gains and the audiovisual group outscored the written input group regarding the vocabulary knowledge. More specifically, the study revealed that the audiovisual input significantly impacted learning concrete words. The study is a confirmation on the importance of audiovisual input in learning all different classifications of 1 Corresponding author: r.bagherinevisi@qom.ac.ir 326 Teaching English Language, Vol. 17, No. 2 The Effect of Audiovisual Input … vocabulary in general and concrete words in particular. The study further implies that there would be a way for a more detailed scrutiny on the methods of acquiring various categories of vocabulary.
... However, as it was mentioned above, it was not until the arrival of the LeViS (Learning via Subtitling) project (Sokoli 2006), which aimed at developing an ad-hoc N. Talaván software that could help to include subtitling as a task in the language classroom, that this field of study really emerged. Parallel to this project, authors such as Talaván (2006), or Lertola (2012Lertola ( , 2019a) also started to establish the bases of this field by running small-scale projects on didactic subtitling first, proceeded by other AVT modes. A few years later, Sokoli (2015) would continue the idea behind the LeViS project in a successful European project called ClipFlair, where the aforementioned authors also contributed by sharing very promising results (Lertola and Mariotti 2017;Talaván and Lertola 2016;Talaván and Rodríguez-Arancón 2014). ...
Didactic audiovisual translation (DAT) implies the pedagogical use of any audiovisual translation (AVT) mode, like dubbing, subtitling or audio description, as a resource in language education (LE). This area of research has attracted increasing interest in the last decade and can be said to have been consolidated as a field of study on its own right in recent years. In order to extend the use of DAT to larger contexts, LE teachers should be properly trained to use AVT resources in the pedagogical context. However, research on teacher training in DAT is still scarce. The present chapter offers a teacher training experience in Italy where a group of pre-service teachers were given a workshop on DAT to offer an example of implementation based on previous related experiences that may serve to provide more solid ground for the design of a DAT teacher-training methodology which could be adapted to various educational contexts. Besides, the data gathered from this proposal also aims at contributing to this area by confirming the potential benefits of DAT in training future professionals in LE, already mentioned tentatively in a few previous small-scale studies.
... They concluded that captioned or subtitled videos positively affected vocabulary learning. Reversed subtitling offers benefits, especially to less advanced learners, in vocabulary learning and grammar acquisition (Zanon, 2006(Zanon, , 2007. In a pioneer study on reversed subtitling, Lambert, Boehler, and Sidoti (1981) discovered that for Grades 5-6 students in a French immersion program, reversed subtitling was the most beneficial mode regarding L2 comprehension, contextual meaning, and spelling. ...
The binge-watching phenomenon on college campuses in Taiwan inspired this study. The researcher often overhears her students chatting about which Mandarin TV series they have been binge-watching recently. Given this drama fever, which may provide an impetus for sustained reading of on-screen text, the researcher is concerned with English vocabulary growth if the viewing habit shifts from Mandarin to English subtitles. A corpus of over 5.6 million English-subtitled words from 37 Mandarin dramas was compiled, totaling 1,238 episodes. The operational measures involved the ranked twenty-five 1000-word-family lists along the British National Corpus and the Corpus of Contemporary American English word-frequency scale. Results show that Mandarin drama English subtitles reached the 2000–3000 word-family levels at 95% text coverage and extended to the 4000–5000 levels at 98% coverage subject to genres. EFL Mandarin drama fans may encounter most words from each of the 1st to 6th 1000-word-family lists twelve times or more for potential learning by continually watching up to 24 English-subtitled Mandarin dramas. Moreover, twenty participants expressed their views on watching English-subtitled Mandarin dramas to a certain level of agreement. For extensive reading practitioners, the results may be a reference concerning what vocabulary level EFL learners may attain if they binge-watch English-subtitled Mandarin dramas in their leisure time.
... Proposals like the one by Talaván (2006b) delved into the potential of didactic subtitling for teaching English for Specific Purposes, in this case, English for Business. In this context, Talaván (2006a) developed specific guidelines on how to prepare the clips to be subtitled, and proposed a set of software for subtitling like Subtitle Workshop, Subtitul@m, or Fab Subtitler. ...
Exponential advancements in the technological field have opened numerous possibilities in the educational domain. In this regard, it is important to highlight the role of Didactic Audiovisual Translation (DAT), as it is a young field of knowledge that has developed in parallel with technologies. DAT involves the application of pedagogical translation to audiovisual texts, enabling students to become consumers and creators of audiovisual products through the application of adapted protocols from different modes of audiovisual translation (subtitling, dubbing, etc.). In addition, English for Social Purposes and Cooperation (ESoP) advocates for incorporating cross-curricular contents into language learning materials, allowing students not only to develop their language skills but also to simultaneously gain awareness of issues of social impact. The aim of this study is to explore to what extent the combination of ESoP and DAT is motivating for students and fulfils the goal of improving linguistic skills and social awareness simultaneously. The sample consisted of 32 participants. A didactic subtitling lesson plan focusing on the oppression of women's creativity throughout history was implemented, followed by a questionnaire. The results indicate that participants perceived improvements in their language skills, gender awareness, and motivation. It is of interest that future studies explore other DAT modes and their combination with ESoP with longer interventions.
... Elena Bárcena Madera y del Dr. Jorge Díaz Cintas. Solo al año de comenzar su tesis doctoral, Talaván (2006aTalaván ( , 2006b) ya cuenta con publicaciones sobre cómo usar el subtitulado didáctico para la enseñanza de lenguas y para la enseñanza de lenguajes para fines específicos. Al finalizar su tesis doctoral, Talaván (2013b) publica un volumen monográfico titulado La subtitulación en el aprendizaje de lenguas extranjeras que es un referente necesario para todas aquellas personas que se quieran adentrar en la disciplina. ...
Una mirada histórica a cualquier campo del saber revela la ausencia de las voces de las mujeres. En el campo de la didáctica de lenguas es común pensar en los aportes de lingüistas como Krashen (1981, 1982, 1989), pero rara vez se menciona el papel crucial que jugaron maestras como Mary Brebner (McLelland, 2021). Por otro lado, la didáctica de las lenguas está estrechamente ligada a las necesidades sociales. En el siglo XXI la evolución tecnológica es una realidad que se ha traducido en la presencia de dispositivos informáticos en la rutina diaria, y, uno de los efectos más tangibles es el hecho de que las pantallas y los productos multimedia tengan una gran presencia en la sociedad. Filólogas, traductoras y docentes han encabezado desde el cambio del milenio un giro hacia la incorporación de estos recursos en el aula, al igual que lo hizo Mary Brebner en el Reform Movement cuando abogó por lo métodos directos. Este estudio es una revisión bibliográfica que pretende poner de relieve el papel clave que han jugado las mujeres en la fundación y consolidación de la Traducción Audiovisual Didáctica como disciplina dentro de los estudios de Lingüística Aplicada. De la literatura revisada se destila que las mujeres han jugado un papel fundamental para que la Traducción Audiovisual Didáctica puesto que han hecho aportes relevantes y de impacto que han permitido que la disciplina goce de visibilidad y se haya consolidado en un lapso temporal breve.
In today's interconnected world, being skilled in English is incredibly important. It opens up better job opportunities, and wider educational options, and allows participation in the global community. Therefore, inspiring students to learn English is crucial to showing them how it relates to their everyday lives. This study aims to determine the effect of English subtitles of movies on the vocabulary development of 8th-grade students in SMP Negeri 2 Airmadidi. This study adopted a preliminary experiment method. Thirty-two students participated in this targeted study. Subtitled films served as a medium to improve students' vocabulary acquisition, and vocabulary tests served as research tools. Researchers collected data through pretests, treatments, and posttests. Data were statistically analyzed and quantitatively described using SPSS 22 Edition. This study found that the mean post-test score was higher than the pre-test score (5.69 < 8.43). Also, the value of t-count is greater than the value of t-table. The results of students' scores on the post-test were higher than those on the comparison test, demonstrating the effectiveness of the treatment in improving learners' vocabulary acquisition. In summary, the use of subtitled films significantly improves students' vocabulary acquisition. This study strongly highlights that others are imaginatively exploring the use of film for a variety of abilities.
Audiovisual Translation (AVT) is one of the flourishing genres of translation studies that has recently been regarded as having a great potential effect of improving students' language skills and cultural awareness. One of the main arguments in the language teaching and learning field is the instructional advantage of translation as a tool for generating more teaching and learning opportunities. The current study aims to explore the myth of using subtitling in English language settings to improve students' overall language proficiency and cultural awareness. The study adopted the conceptual methodology to provide a conceptual framework on how to incorporate subtitling videos into language instruction. This framework gives a step-by-step guide that opens the door for language practitioners and instructors to innovate and create more learning opportunities for the students in an ever more relaxed and motivated environment. The study highlights the need to conduct similar studies in the same areas to provide a solid framework on how to use subtitled videos to develop students' language proficiency and promote their cultural awareness through wide exposure to broader authentic materials and resources.
Subtitle is a form of translation provided in a television series or films in order to communicate with wider societies across the globe. Nowadays, the application of technology in the teaching and learning process is accepted across globe, subtitle is also one of the technologies use to teach English language at different levels. Thus, the main purpose of this study is to explore the use of subtitles in classes of English as a second or foreign language. The data was collected from two Hausa films, titled „A‟isha‟ and „Abu Hassan‟. The films were watched three times and both the source language utterances and their correspondent subtitles were recoded with the intention to see if they can be used in English as a second language/English as a foreign (ESL/EFL) classes. Many errors in relation to the use of tenses, misspelling, omitting necessary elements and adding unnecessary elements were found from the data. The paper recommends that Hausa filmmakers should collaborate with professional translators, who should from time-to-time organise workshops and seminars for subtitlers as well using professional subtitlers.
The didactic applications of Audiovisual Translation (AVT) to Foreign Language Learning refer to the use of AVT modes (subtitling, dubbing, etc.) as didactic resources. It is a line of enquiry that has been receiving increasing attention in recent years, from researchers and practitioners alike. The TRADILEX Project has aimed to reinforcing this area of study by designing and testing a methodological proposal where various AVT modes (subtitling, voice-over, dubbing, and the media accessibility modes of audio description and subtitles for deaf and hard of hearing people) have been applied to enhance integrated skills in English as a foreign language. This article will offer an account of the whole online piloting process undertaken within TRADILEX. It will show how the methodological design, the lesson plans, and the instruments were confirmed as functional, reliable, and effective for integrated skills enhancement, before undertaking the pre-experimental long-term study that lays at the core of the project.
A partire dagli anni '70 ricercatori, linguisti e studiosi di traduttologia hanno analizzato gli usi e i benefici della sottotitolazione di materiali audiovisivi nel processo di insegnamento-apprendimento delle lingue straniere. Nel 2007 la Commissione Europea pubblicava un documento nel quale sosteneva che "subtitling is a spectacular tool for helping people learn languages easily and enjoyably" (EUROPA Press Releases, 2007: 2). Diversi ricercatori, come Jennifer Lertola della National University of Ireland, Noa Talaván in Spagna, Josélia Neves in Portogallo o Jorge Díaz Cintas, Helen Williams e Davis Thorne nel Regno Unito, hanno seguito questa linea di pensiero affermando che l'insegnamento e l'applicazione delle tecniche della sottotitolazione può essere di grande aiuto non solo nella formazione dei traduttori ma anche, e in modo speciale, nell'insegnamento di una L2.
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DVDs have substantially replaced traditional VHS videotapes as the movie medium of the new millennium. In addition to their compactness and availability, there are a variety of special features offered on DVDs, including interactive menus, theatrical trailers, behind-the-scenes commentary, foreign languages, captions and subtitles, and immediate scene access. With these special features, DVD feature films provide a wide array of pedagogical options and represent a rich resource of intrinsically motivating materials for learners. This study is three-fold in nature: the first part is devoted to a discussion of film-viewing approaches; it then provides an assessment on the use of closed-captioned and non-closed-captioned DVD feature films for different levels of learners. Finally, suggestions are provided for choosing appropriate films to promote active viewing and interaction in order to maximize classroom application of DVD feature films.
Multimedia software combining video, sound, pictures, text and feedback in an interactive environment is ideally suited for developing a foreign language skill, but is costly and time-consuming to produce. This paper describes the production and the learning rationale of a series of six multimedia CD-ROMs that develop the listening skills of learners of Business English. The problems of cost, time, and quality which were encountered in the production of multiple courseware are described. The programming solution to these problems is put forward. This involved the creation of tools which enabled the subject expert to have complete and direct control over the language learning material.
The purpose of this study was to examine how subtitled video programs could enhance foreign language learning. Three viewing methods were compared in a pilot study: French audio only, standard subtitling (English subtitles) and reversed subtitling (English dialogue with French titles). In two subsequent experiments, standard subtitling was replaced with bimodal input (French audio with French titles). The beginning and intermediate French college students selected for the study were tested on vocabulary recall after watching a five-minute video excerpt of French in Action. The success of reversed subtitling, which proved to be the most beneficial condition, can be explained by the way translation facilitates foreign language encoding. Retrieval is also enhanced by the multiple memory paths created by the visual and bilingual input (Paivio's bilingual dual coding model, 1986). Dual processing in the bimodal input condition also gave positive results. Based on the results of this study, a model integrating both reversed subtitling and bimodal input into a complete curriculum is advocated.
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