The Influence of Subtitles on the Process of Understanding Videos in a Foreign Language

Abstract

   This work is devoted to the study of the influence of subtitles on the understanding of videos in a foreign language.

   The relevance of this study is due to the expansion of the influence of the media on the methods of learning a foreign language.

   More and more students prefer alternative methods (using educational and entertainment videos, video games, communicating on forums) over traditional methods (learning a language from a textbook in the classroom).

   The purpose of this work is to study the influence of subtitles on the understanding of videos in a foreign language.

   The objectives of the study included conducting a stating experiment to establish the possession of certain lexical units and a formative experiment to establish the effectiveness of the presence of subtitles on understanding and mastering certain lexical units.

   Participant observation, experiment and statistical data processing were chosen as research methods. Students studying English and Italian were divided into two groups: one watched the videos twice without subtitles, and the other twice, but with subtitles. After the second viewing, the students were asked to take a vocabulary comprehension test from the video. Students were asked about the general impression of the video they watched and the particular details of the video. The results of the experiment showed that watching videos with subtitles was more effective than without them. The students noted that the subtitles acted as a prop when watching the video and then performing the tests. The conclusion of this study is that subtitles have high potential as a means of mastering new lexical units and learning a second foreign language.