Effects of L1/L2 Captioned TV Programs on Students’ Vocabulary Learning and Comprehension

Oct 15, 2026

This study investigates how different caption types affect English vocabulary learning and comprehension among EFL learners. Eighty Chinese university students participated and were assigned to four groups by academic level: freshmen, juniors, and graduate students. Each group watched four video clips under four caption conditions: L1 Chinese, L2 English, dual (L1+L2), and no captions. Mixed four-by-four ANOVAs showed significant performance differences across caption types and class levels, with L1, L2, and dual captions generally outperforming no captions in vocabulary and comprehension; however, effects among these caption types were mixed for learning outcomes.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages21

Reading Time53 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Definition of caption types (L1, L2, dual)

Literature Review

Effects of videos under different caption conditions

Effects under two caption conditions

Effects under three caption conditions

calico journal (online) issn 2056–9017 Article Effects of L1/L2 Captioned TV Programson Students’ Vocabulary Learning and Comprehension Yangting (Tina) Wang Abstract This study investigated the effects of different types of captions on English asa Foreign Language Learners’ (EFL) vocabulary learning and comprehension. Eighty students in a Chinese university participated. Students were divided into four groups with two classes of freshmen, one class of juniors, and one class of graduate students. Each group watched four video clips with four caption conditions: L1 Chinese, L2 English, dual (L1 and L2), and no captions. The order and caption conditions were counterbalanced. The purpose of the study was to find which caption condition is more effective for EFL learners. Four by four mixed ANOVAs were used to compare the differences among the four conditions and groups. Results indicated that students’ performances were statistically significantly different across captions and class levels. In general, students in L1, L2, and dual captions statistically outperformed the no caption condition in vocabulary and comprehension. Results of the effects of L1, L2, and dual captions on vocabulary learning and comprehension were mixed. The pedagogical implications of using authentic TV series and multimedia captions were discussed. Keywords:dual captions, Chinese EFL, comprehension, vocabulary learning, class levels. Introduction In the field of second language acquisition and computer-assisted language learning, ample studies point out that with advanced technology, foreign Affiliation The University of Texas at San Antonio, USA. [email: yangting.wang@utsa.edu](email: yangting.wang@utsa.edu) calico journal vol 36.3 2019 204–224 ©2019, equinox publishing [https://doi.org/10.1558/cj.36268](https://doi.org/10.1558/cj.36268) Yangting (Tina) Wang 205 language learners are exposed to captioned television (TV) series on their personal computers (Chai & Erlam, 2008; Rodgers & Webb, 2017). Many universities in China use authentic TV series and videos in foreign language classes. Undoubtedly, the Internet has made language learning from captioned TV series more accessible. The term caption is defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as a text displayed at the bottom of a screen that is the partial transcript or translation of a conversation or narrative. In the current study, the term dual captions refers to videos that are presented with L1 captions (first language) and L2 captions (second language) simultaneously at the bottom of the screen. L1 captions refers to when captions and the audio speech of a video are in the same language. L2 captions refers to when captions and the audio speech are in different languages. Since the Chinese government requires that all foreign films released in China be provided with captions (S. J. Chen, 2004), foreign films and TV series in China are often accompanied by dual captions or L1 Chinese captions. L2 English captions are less commonly seen either on the TV or the Internet. Since many Chinese EFL students like to watch American TV series during their free time and there are different captioned options available, it is useful to examine which caption type better helps improve students’ English comprehension and vocabulary learning. The results of this study shed light on the use of captions with authentic materials inside and outside EFL classrooms. Literature Review A number of studies investigated the use of captioned videos for language learning. While some studies investigated the quality of captions (e.g., Dollerup, 1974), the majority of research has been centered on the effects of captions within the following three aspects: under different caption conditions (i.e., two, three, four caption conditions); on different language skills (i.e., vocabulary learning and comprehension); and the relationship between language skills and learners’ language proficiency levels. Ef

FAQs

What caption conditions were compared in the study?

The study compared four conditions: L1 Chinese captions, L2 English captions, dual captions (L1 and L2 simultaneously), and no captions.

Who participated, and how were they grouped?

Eighty Chinese university students participated. They were organized into groups by academic level (freshmen, juniors, and graduate students) before viewing the captioned video clips.

What were the main findings on vocabulary learning and comprehension?

Across caption conditions and class levels, students performed significantly differently. Overall, students using L1, L2, or dual captions outperformed the no-caption condition in both vocabulary learning and comprehension, though comparisons among the caption types showed mixed effects.

Oct 15, 2026

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