Using Subtitles to Enliven Reading

Abstract

There are an increasing number of foreign language teaching techniques that integrate with the latest technology, such as computers, video materials. As the emphasis in multimedia shifts to success for all language learners, educators tend to carry out various techniques to demonstrate benefits. Presenting subtitles aids visual channels to communicate verbal information. The presenter examines whether video English captions improve or impede EFL students’ reading comprehension.Using the instructional videos with English subtitles 1hour every 2 weeks over 10 weeks. Two versions of videos, one with captioning and one without it, were used by two groups randomly selected among freshmen at the university in Taiwan. Reading comprehension test- General English Proficiency Test (GEPT) – intermediate- was administered by participants in order to determine the influences of using subtitles on learners’ reading comprehension.