The effect of captioned videos on English learning of L1 Chinese students : a case study in a junior high school in Hubei province

Abstract

This quasi-experiment compares the effects of watching videos with or without captions on learners’ comprehension of video content, and investigates learners’ attitudes towards video-watching in English language learning in a middle school in a city in central China. The study has a quantitative orientation but triangulates data from a questionnaire and interviews. The participants watched a number of different educational videos, each of less than 5 minutes length, on 10 consecutive school days. Two intact classes were involved with one watching the videos with captions and the other without captions. There were comprehension tests after each video, a student questionnaire, student interviews, and a teacher interview. Previous research has indicated the potential effectiveness of using captioned video for English language learning including content comprehension and language acquisition. However, there has been little attention to this area among beginning English learners with L1 Chinese. The results show better content comprehension and a larger learning gain in the with-caption group. The results also indicate that learners in both groups hold positive attitudes towards using videos in English language learning. Several pedagogical implications are proposed for future video use in learners’ English learning.