Abstract

Much research has demonstrated that the addition of text to videos, films or television programs can benefit second language learning. However, when the goal of using such materials is to develop listening comprehension skills, the addition of captions or subtitles may not lead to the anticipated results because learners may have a tendency to read the script, rather than to develop listening skills. It is not easy for learners to adjust their listening environment to suit their changing needs. This research explored the impact of giving learners control over their listening environment. Thirty-one adult students of English in Montréal, Québec viewed nine web-based videos over a two-week period. One group was given control over the use of captions, while the second group was exposed to captions on a continual basis. It was hypothesized that the learners who were given control would avoid the pitfalls of reading captioned videos, and in so doing would develop listening comprehension skills that could be transferred to materials without captions to a greater extent than the learners who were not given such control. Scores on post-treatment comprehension tests were higher for the group that had been given control over captions during the treatment, but these results were not significant. However, significant results were found when the participants were grouped by initial listening ability. Weak listeners were more likely to improve their listening skills, while stronger listeners learned more new words. The paper concludes by elaborating on the future direction of learner-controlled captioning.