Have you ever wondered how your child’s language skills can be boosted while watching TV shows or movies? A recent study dives into the fascinating world of language learning through subtitles, shedding light on a key tool: bilingual subtitles.
The ability to grasp a wide range of words is vital for language proficiency, especially for those learning a second language. Whether it’s through intentional learning or picking up words incidentally while reading, listening, or watching, building a robust vocabulary is crucial for successful language comprehension. Watching television programs and movies is a common way for language learners to absorb a new language. But what if we told you that the subtitles on the screen could be the key to unlocking a richer vocabulary?
Enter bilingual subtitles, which show both the original language (L1) and the second language (L2) translations simultaneously. The big question is, do these bilingual subtitles really help in learning new words, or do they just distract us from the plot? Researchers set out to explore the effectiveness of bilingual subtitles in helping learners pick up new words. The study reviewed existing knowledge, pointing out that while captions and L1 subtitles can aid vocabulary learning, the jury is still out on bilingual subtitles. The researchers wanted to fill this gap in understanding.
Figure 1: Visual diagram of the research procedure.
From the authors Wang & Pellicer-Sánchez (2022)
To dig deeper, the study used eye-tracking technology to see how our eyes move when faced with bilingual subtitles. Previous studies hinted that viewers might spend more time on bilingual subtitles, but this research aimed to understand if that extra time equates to better vocabulary.
The results are in, and it’s good news for bilingual subtitles enthusiasts! Participants who watched with bilingual subtitles not only improved their vocabulary but outperformed other groups in recalling and recognizing word meanings. It seems like those extra seconds spent reading the subtitles paid off. Eye-tracking results showed that viewers using bilingual subtitles focused more on the translations than the actual target words. This suggests that our eyes are working extra hard to connect the form and meaning of words, providing unique insight into how we process language on screen.
The study explored the relationship between eye movements and vocabulary gains. For the bilingual subtitles group, the time spent reading L2 words predicted their gains in word form recognition and meaning recall. It’s like our eyes are guiding the way to better language skills! The study not only reinforces the benefits of watching TV for language learning but also highlights the potential of bilingual subtitles. As parents, you might want to consider turning on those subtitles to give your child’s language skills an extra boost. However, given that participants of this study were all adults, there is no guarantee that the same results will be seen in children.
Nonetheless, the next time you sit down for a family movie night, there is no harm turning on the bilingual subtitles. You might just be giving your child’s language skills a superhero-level upgrade! Happy watching and learning!
References:
Wang, A., & Pellicer‐Sánchez, A. (2022). Incidental vocabulary learning from bilingual subtitled viewing: An eye‐tracking study. Language Learning, 72(3), 765-805. https://doi.org/10.1111/lang.12495
This post was written by our intern, Zhi Xing, and edited by our lab research fellow Rui Qi.