The effects of watching authentic English videos with and without subtitles on listening and reading skills of EFL learners

Abstract

Watching English videos can be considered as a powerful and popular tool with regard to learning English as a foreign language, and ought to be devoted serious attention by teachers and researchers. The present study attempts to explore the potential effects of watching authentic English videos (movies, TV shows, etc.) with subtitles (English and Slovak) and without subtitles on listening and reading skills. A total of thirty Slovak university EFL learners were divided into three groups according to their viewing preference: English subtitle group (ESG), Slovak subtitle group (SSG), and no subtitle group (NSG). Afterwards, the participants in each group underwent listening and reading tests, and their scores were subsequently examined. The test results were analyzed and compared using the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) statistical method and the Bonferroni post-hoc test. Overall, neither listening nor reading test scores exhibit statistically significant differences between the three groups, although the post-hoc test, which was used for comparing the groups with each other, revealed that a significant difference was detected between the ESG and SSG within the analysis of reading test scores.