This is attributed to the fact that native language perceptual categories are established early in life and are difficult to retune afterwards. Often learners have more success learning foreign vocabulary, orthography and syntax than phonology, both in terms of production and understanding. Regarding phonology, the process of learning the sound categories of a second language (L2) as an adult can be a rather challenging task. ![]() This study aims to investigate the potential benefits of watching subtitled media in major aspects of second language learning such as phonology and vocabulary. In many European countries TV shows and other media content are broadcasted in their original version with subtitles (Sweden, Belgium, Denmark or the Netherlands), and even in countries such as Germany, France or Spain where films and foreign media content are regularly dubbed, subtitled audiovisuals in English are becoming increasingly popular because access to audiovisual media in its original language with subtitles is easy. In fact, the education experts and the public media have mixed opinions about the feasibility of learning languages through watching films with subtitles. Nevertheless, this widespread claim in society lacks conclusive scientific evidence. English is the world’s most widely learnt foreign language hence the potential of learning through watching subtitled media can have a great economic and social impact (see for commercial applications of this principle). It is often claimed that watching subtitled films and series implicitly helps learning a second language. These learning effects with just 1 hour exposure might have major implications with longer exposure times. Finally, as one could expect, plot comprehension was best under native, Spanish subtitles. The vocabulary test showed no reliable differences between subtitled conditions. ![]() The results of the listening skills tests revealed that after watching the English subtitled version, participants improved these skills significantly more than after watching the Spanish subtitled or no-subtitles versions. ![]() Before and after the viewing, participants took a listening and vocabulary test to evaluate their speech perception and vocabulary acquisition in English, plus a final plot comprehension test. In order to test the potential learning effects derived from watching subtitled media, a group of intermediate Spanish students of English as a foreign language watched a 1h-long episode of a TV drama in its original English version, with English, Spanish or no subtitles overlaid. One reason for this trend is the assumption that perceptual learning of the sounds of a foreign language, English, will improve perception skills in non-English speakers. TV and movies are no different.Watching English-spoken films with subtitles is becoming increasingly popular throughout the world. I use "behind the lyrics" on Spotify to read song lyrics while listening. The subtitles are simply there to provide more information. My brain, and any brain for that matter, is capable of being present with both simultaneously. The idea that subtitles detract from the performance of actors is old-fashioned. Why not just turn on the subtitles? Problem solved. You're hitting mute during action sequences, but cranking the volume during speaking sections so you can understand what the hell is going on. You're watching TV, remote in a vicelike grip, stressed about waking the kids up. What if the movie is simply mixed poorly? Anyone with young kids understands the dilemma. What if you're watching The Expanse, a show where roughly 30% of the characters speak Belter, an English/patois hybrid that doesn't always quite make sense to English speakers? What if you're watching The Witcher on Netflix, in which almost everyone speaks in a low, suboptimal grumble? If there's background noise, say a plane flying overhead or - in my case - two bafflingly loud children fighting over an iPad in the background, it's easy to miss details or subtle dialogue nuances. Subtitles do not detract from the viewing experience, they enhance it. If I'm watching a movie and the subtitles are off, it feels weird.
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