LD OnLine

Captioned Media: Literacy Support for Diverse Learners

By: National Center for Technology Innovation and Center for Implementing Technology in Education (CITEd) (2010)

In a typical classroom, a teacher may find many students who are struggling readers, whether they are beginning readers, students with language-based learning disabilities, or students who are English language learners (ELLs). One motivating, engaging and inexpensive way to help build the reading skills of students is through the use of closed captioned and subtitled television shows and movies.

Though closed captioning was initially intended for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, in the years since, captioned media has become widely available and has shown academic promise for a wide variety of learners.1 Because of federal legislation, closed captioning has been a built-in feature on every television set sold since 1993, and captioning is now available on television programming, live newscasts, movies, and sporting events.2 Additionally, web-based applications have made it increasingly easy for producers to caption online video, opening up more options for accessible media.

The increased availability of captioned media, whether on educational videos, popular movies, or live television broadcasts, allows teachers to begin incorporating more accessible media easily into their classrooms. As more teachers began using captions in their classroom, many found that captions could help support a wide variety of learners, beyond their deaf or hard of hearing students.

The use of captioned or subtitled media can be a great tool for teachers looking to differentiate classroom instruction. Presenting information in multiple ways and using motivating media can help address the diverse needs of learners in the classroom and engage students on multiple levels.3 Research has shown that ELLs, students with learning disabilities, and students who struggle academically may all benefit from following along with captions while watching a classroom video.4

For students with LD and struggling or beginning readers, the use of captions or subtitles can lead to increases in:

Same-language subtitling (SLS or captioning) has been shown to improve reading skills among adults who are non-readers.6 SLS has also been used with some success on popular programming in India to improve the literacy of the general population.7

Research has shown that watching video appears to have a positive impact on comprehension skills, and combining viewing with text or captions appears to boost vocabulary acquisition, addressing skill deficits of struggling readers.8 Though most students do well with captioned media, the speed of captions could potentially pose a problem for very young children or struggling readers.9 For particularly low-level readers, teachers may want to consider using captioned television or movies where vocabulary is less likely to be difficult. These programs may include those where the main characters are children or teenagers, animated movies, family programs, or movies with young children in the cast.10

For students who are learning English (or another language), captioned and subtitled media can also have benefits. The strategy has been shown to be more effective at improving overall listening comprehension than non-captioned movies. Students who watch captioned videos to learn a foreign language have shown improvement in reading and listening comprehension, word recognition, decoding skills, motivation and vocabulary acquisition.11 The use of multimedia to teach a foreign language can also help motivate students and remove some of the anxiety of not knowing the language.12

Students consistently report increased engagement and enjoyment of captioned media over other options (print, uncaptioned media, etc.). Even in studies that have not found a significant improvement in academic objectives when using closed-captioned media have still found that students report preferring captions.13 Because of this, captioned media may also have an effect on students' non-academic skills such as time-on-task, motivation, and behavior as they find classroom reading activities to be more enjoyable.14

Researchers have found that the reading of captions or subtitles is fairly intuitive, so the use of captioned media requires little extra training or instruction for your students. When watching subtitled media, viewers will typically attempt to decode the text, even if they are struggling or beginning readers.15 A further benefit of the addition of captioned media to classroom instruction is that it shifts watching typical classroom videos from a "dominantly picture-viewing activity to a dominantly reading activity"16, providing struggling readers with additional reading practice.

If parents were also to turn on captions at home for pleasure television watching, this could provide students with many additional hours of reading practice, since many students spend a great deal of time watching television and movies.17 Because lower level readers may tend to avoid reading activities, their exposure to print is minimal and development of literacy skills continue to fall behind their peers'.18 Maximizing print exposure through the use of captions both at home and at school can add many hours of reading practice and literacy skill development.19

Though captioned and subtitled media won't replace strong reading instruction for struggling or beginning readers, the added exposure to print can help boost reading skills for a number of students. Given the wide (and inexpensive) availability of captioned and subtitled media on broadcast television, DVDs and online media, it can be a valuable addition to your teaching of diverse learners.

Captioning resources

Described and Captioned Media Program: Free lending library of accessible media.

The Periodic Table of Videos: Science videos from the University of Nottingham; many videos captioned (available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Indonesian, and Italian).

Hulu: Source for watching television shows and movies online; many shows are captioned.

National Center for Accessible Media: Research and development group focusing on accessible media; offers resources and information about captioned media.

Endnotes

1 Koskinen, P.S. Knable, J. E. Markham, P.L. Jensema, C.J. Kane, K.W. (1995). Captioned television and the vocabulary acquisition of adult second language correctional facility residents. Journal Educational Technology Systems 24(4), 359-373.; Linebarger, D. L. (2001). Learning to read from television: The effects of using captions and narration. Journal of Educational Psychology, 93, 288-298. Available at: http://www.asc.upenn.edu/childrenmedia/Research_View.asp?code=660T22G9I27.

2 Bowe, F. G. Kaufman, A. (2001). Captioned media: Teacher perceptions of potential value for students with no hearing impairments: A national survey of special educators. Captioned Media Program.

3 Evmenova, A.S. (2008). Lights! Camera! Captions!: The effects of picture and/or word captioning adaptations, alternative narration, and interactive features on video comprehension by students with intellectual disabilities. George Mason University, College of Education and Human Development. Available at: http://mars.gmu.edu:8080/dspace/bitstream/1920/3071/1/Evmenova_Anna.pdf; Neuman, S. (1990). Using captioned television to improve the reading proficiency of language minority students. The National Captioning Institute, Inc.; Spanos, G. Smith, J.J. (1990). Closed captioned television for adult LEP literacy learners. Adjunct ERIC Clearinghouse on Literacy Education for Limited-English-Proficient Adults Washington DC.

4 Evmenova, A.S. (2008). Lights! Camera! Captions!: The effects of picture and/or word captioning adaptations, alternative narration, and interactive features on video comprehension by students with intellectual disabilities. George Mason University, College of Education and Human Development.; Goldman, M. E. (1993). Using captioned TV for teaching reading: FASTBACK 359. Available at: http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/15/4b/d3.pdf; Steinfeld, Aaron. (1998). The benefit of real-time captioning in a mainstream classroom as measured by working memory. Volta Review 100(1), 29.

5 Bowe, F. G. Kaufman, A. (2001). Captioned media: Teacher perceptions of potential value for students with no hearing impairments: A national survey of special educators. Captioned Media Program. ; Evmenova, A.S. (2008). Lights! Camera! Captions!: The effects of picture and/or word captioning adaptations, alternative narration, and interactive features on video comprehension by students with intellectual disabilities. George Mason University, College of Education and Human Development.; Linebarger, D. L. (2001). Learning to read from television: The effects of using captions and narration. Journal of Educational Psychology, 93, 288-298.; Rickelman, R.J., Henk, W.A., Layton, K. (1991). Closed-captioned television: A viable technology for the reading teacher. The Reading Teacher 44(8), 598-599.

6 Bowe, F. G. Kaufman, A. (2001). Captioned media: Teacher perceptions of potential value for students with no hearing impairments: A national survey of special educators. Captioned Media Program. ; Kothari, B., Pandey, A., Chudgar, A. R. (2004). Reading out of the "Idiot Box": Same-language subtitling on television in India. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Information Technologies and International Development, 2(1), 23-44. Available at: http://mitpress.mit.edu/journals/pdf/ITID-2-1_23_0.pdf.; Spanos, G. Smith, J.J. (1990). Closed captioned television for adult LEP literacy learners. Adjunct ERIC Clearinghouse on Literacy Education for Limited-English-Proficient Adults Washington DC.

7 Kothari, B., Pandey, A., Chudgar, A. R. (2004). Reading out of the "Idiot Box": Same-language subtitling on television in India. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Information Technologies and International Development, 2(1), 23-44.

8 Koskinen, P.Wilson, R.M., Gambrell, L.B. & Neuman, S.B. (1993). Captioned video and vocabulary learning: An innovative practice in literacy instruction. The Reading Teacher, 47(1), 36-43.; Koskinen, P.S. Knable, J. E. Markham, P.L. Jensema, C.J. Kane, K.W. (1995). Captioned television and the vocabulary acquisition of adult second language correctional facility residents. Journal Educational Technology Systems 24(4), 359-373.; Linebarger, D. L. (2001). Learning to read from television: The effects of using captions and narration. Journal of Educational Psychology, 93, 288-298.

9 Koskinen, P.Wilson, R.M., Gambrell, L.B. & Neuman, S.B. (1993). Captioned video and vocabulary learning: An innovative practice in literacy instruction. The Reading Teacher, 47(1), 36-43.

10 Goldman, M. E. (1993). Using captioned TV for teaching reading: FASTBACK 359.

11 Evmenova, A.S. (2008). Lights! Camera! Captions!: The effects of picture and/or word captioning adaptations, alternative narration, and interactive features on video comprehension by students with intellectual disabilities. George Mason University, College of Education and Human Development.; Goldman, M. E. (1993). Using captioned TV for teaching reading: FASTBACK 359.; King, J. (2002). Using DVD feature films in the EFL classroom. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 15, 509-523. Available at: http://www.eltnewsletter.com/back/February2002/art882002.htm.; Koskinen, P.S. Knable, J. E. Markham, P.L. Jensema, C.J. Kane, K.W. (1995). Captioned television and the vocabulary acquisition of adult second language correctional facility residents. Journal Educational Technology Systems 24(4), 359-373.; Neuman, S. (1990). Using captioned television to improve the reading proficiency of language minority students. The National Captioning Institute, Inc.; Shea, P. (2000). Leveling the playing field: A study of captioned interactive video for second language learning. Journal of Educational Computing Research 22(3), 243-263.

12 Huang, H.C., Eskey, D.E. (1999). The effects of closed-captioned television on the listening comprehension of intermediate English as a Second Language (ESL) students. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 28(1), 75-96. Available at: http://baywood.metapress.com/app/home/contribution.asp?referrer=parent&backto=issue,8,9;journal,38,146;linkingpublicationresults,1:300322,1.; King, J. (2002). Using DVD feature films in the EFL classroom. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 15, 509-523.; Neuman, S. (1990). Using captioned television to improve the reading proficiency of language minority students. The National Captioning Institute, Inc.; Shea, P. (2000). Leveling the playing field: A study of captioned interactive video for second language learning. Journal of Educational Computing Research 22(3), 243-263.

13 Evmenova, A.S. (2008). Lights! Camera! Captions!: The effects of picture and/or word captioning adaptations, alternative narration, and interactive features on video comprehension by students with intellectual disabilities. George Mason University, College of Education and Human Development.; Koskinen, P.Wilson, R.M., Gambrell, L.B. & Neuman, S.B. (1993). Captioned video and vocabulary learning: An innovative practice in literacy instruction. The Reading Teacher, 47(1), 36-43.; Rickelman, R.J., Henk, W.A., Layton, K. (1991). Closed-captioned television: A viable technology for the reading teacher. The Reading Teacher 44(8), 598-599.

14 Evmenova, A.S. (2008). Lights! Camera! Captions!: The effects of picture and/or word captioning adaptations, alternative narration, and interactive features on video comprehension by students with intellectual disabilities. George Mason University, College of Education and Human Development.; Holmes, K. Russell, W. B.III. Movitz, A. (2007). Reading in the social studies: Using subtitled films. Social Education, 71(6), 326-330.; Koskinen, P.Wilson, R.M., Gambrell, L.B. & Neuman, S.B. (1993). Captioned video and vocabulary learning: An innovative practice in literacy instruction. The Reading Teacher, 47(1), 36-43.; Linebarger, D. L. (2001). Learning to read from television: The effects of using captions and narration. Journal of Educational Psychology, 93, 288-298.; Rickelman, R.J., Henk, W.A., Layton, K. (1991). Closed-captioned television: A viable technology for the reading teacher. The Reading Teacher 44(8), 598-599. ; Spanos, G. Smith, J.J. (1990). Closed captioned television for adult LEP literacy learners. Adjunct ERIC Clearinghouse on Literacy Education for Limited-English-Proficient Adults Washington DC.

15 Kothari, B., Pandey, A., Chudgar, A. R. (2004). Reading out of the "Idiot Box": Same-language subtitling on television in India. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Information Technologies and International Development, 2(1), 23-44.

16 Ibid, p. 29

17 Koskinen, P.Wilson, R.M., Gambrell, L.B. & Neuman, S.B. (1993). Captioned video and vocabulary learning: An innovative practice in literacy instruction. The Reading Teacher, 47(1), 36-43.; Kothari, B., Pandey, A., Chudgar, A. R. (2004). Reading out of the "Idiot Box": Same-language subtitling on television in India. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Information Technologies and International Development, 2(1), 23-44.

18 Koskinen, P.Wilson, R.M., Gambrell, L.B. & Neuman, S.B. (1993). Captioned video and vocabulary learning: An innovative practice in literacy instruction. The Reading Teacher, 47(1), 36-43.

19 Koskinen, P.Wilson, R.M., Gambrell, L.B. & Neuman, S.B. (1993). Captioned video and vocabulary learning: An innovative practice in literacy instruction. The Reading Teacher, 47(1), 36-43.; Kothari, B., Pandey, A., Chudgar, A. R. (2004). Reading out of the "Idiot Box": Same-language subtitling on television in India. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Information Technologies and International Development, 2(1), 23-44.