Can Captioned Video Benefit Second Language Pronunciation?

Abstract

The present study investigated the potential benefits of extended exposure to captioned videos for second language pronunciation. We tested 90 L2 adult learners of English on speech processing skills (segmentation, speed of lexical access, and sentence processing) and phonological accuracy in perception (ABX discrimination) and production (accentedness ratings) before and after an 8-week treatment consisting of regular exposure to audiovisual materials. Participants were randomly assigned to four experimental conditions involving two viewing modes (captioned or uncaptioned) and two task focus conditions (focus on phonetic form or focus on meaning). Results showed benefits in speech segmentation and speech processing skills irrespective of viewing mode. No significant benefits were found for phonological accuracy in perception. In production, a focus on phonetic form improved pronunciation only in the absence of captions, whereas captioned viewing led to pronunciation gains as long as there was no focus on phonetic form. These findings suggest that pronunciation improvement can take place with the help of captions or, in the absence of captions, when learners’ attention is directed to pronunciation. Cognitive overload might explain why no benefits were obtained when attention was directed to pronunciation in a captioned viewing mode.

Compiling a Corpus of Audiovisual Materials for EFL Learning: Selection, Analysis, and Exploitation

“…As regards the development of students' grammatical knowledge, Lee and Révész (2020) argue that "captions cannot only facilitate the acquisition of l2 vocabulary but also have the capacity to promote development in l2 grammatical knowledge" (p. 642). Finally, Wisniewska and Mora (2020) examine the potential benefits of captions on pronunciation, finding that they enhanced "not only the ability to segment speech, . .…”

“…Recent studies have explored the benefits of using am in the efl classroom, such as the many examples of language use in real-life context they display (Peters & Muñoz, 2020;Puimège & Peters, 2020), the variety of topics they might tackle (Sert & Amri, 2021), the advantages of imagery for vocabulary learning (Webb & Rodgers, 2009a;Pujadas & Muñoz, 2020) and the possibility to use captions while viewing (Lee & Révész, 2020;Peters & Muñoz, 2020;Wisniewska & Mora, 2020). Films are usually intrinsically attractive (provided the topic appeals to the viewer) and they are said to be one of the most enjoyable and accessible forms of entertainment, which can work as a motivator and an educator for efl students (Feng & Webb, 2020), enhancing the language learning process as long as appropriate materials are selected and suitable activities designed (Donaghy, 2015).…”

How do differences in exposure affect English language learning? A comparison of teenagers in two learning environments

“…From the perspective of SLA, Long (2020) has argued that bi-modal and tri-modal input may improve enhanced incidental learning, an internal process in the mind of the learner that increases unconscious detection, without necessarily raising learning to the level of conscious awareness at all. Indeed, research on learning from audiovisual input has consistently shown that watching audiovisual material, especially with captions (subtitles in the L2), is beneficial for comprehension (e.g., Gass et al, 2019), vocabulary items and formulaic sequences (e.g., Peters & Webb, 2018;Pujadas & Muñoz, 2019), grammar learning (e.g., Lee & Révész, 2020;Pattemore & Muñoz, 2020), and pronunciation (Wisnieska & Mora, 2020). On the other hand, watching non-captioned video has been shown to especially benefit aural recognition of word forms (Sydorenko, 2010).…”

Doing L2 Speech Research Online: Why and How to Collect Online Ratings Data

“…In that case, raters could adopt a blocked design by randomizing files into blocks to be evaluated by different listener groups. Typically, each group rates a subset of common files shared across blocks, allowing for robust estimation of reliability, as well as a set of unique files available only to that group (see, e.g., Trofimovich et al, 2009;Wisniewska & Mora, 2020). In a completely random-raters design, each item would be evaluated by a random group of k raters, such that no two items share the same rater group.…”