An Investigation into the Studies about the Use of Subtitles in Teaching English in EFL Contexts
Abstract
Research shows that movies can be used as effective materials in foreign language learning and teaching process since they provide valuable input for students to be exposed to the target language produced in an authentic setting and cultural context. Moreover, the movies with subtitles/captions are reported to be a beneficial means for learning new vocabulary, phrases, idioms, practising pronunciation, and raising cultural awareness in the target language. Numerous research has investigated the effects of subtitled movies and TV shows on different skills and components of the target language. The current study employs the document analysis method to determine the particular research area of certain studies about the effects of English subtitles/captions on EFL learning. To this end, the electronic databases, including ERIC, Google Scholar, EBSCO HOST, and Web of Science (WOS) were searched using certain keywords. Subsequent to applying the exclusion criteria, 35 studies were determined to analyse the effects of using subtitles/captions with regard to the targeted skills, participants, context of the study and main findings. Detailed content analysis of the selected studies indicated that most of the studies focused on the effects of English subtitles/captions on the vocabulary and listening skills of EFL learners. The results also revealed that most of the studies were conducted in the higher education context. The study also found that the findings of most of the studies were related to the superiority of the group with English subtitles/captions over the group without subtitles/captions.
Keywords
Language skills, Movies, English subtitles, Captions, Document analysis
Thanks
Desteği, sabrı ve anlayışı için tez danışmanım Sayın Doç. Dr. Emrah EKMEKÇİ'ye, bana bu fırsatı sundukları için Gazi Üniversitesi ailesine ve destekleri için aileme teşekkürlerimi sunarım.
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