Emergency remote teaching of listening comprehension using YouTube videos with captions

Abstract

Emergency remote teaching of listening comprehension is a challenge requiring rethinking of the delivery methods and use of technologies. The paper presents an approach to teaching listening comprehension remotely to students of translating and interpreting for whom this skill will be crucial in their future profession. The aim of the study was to examine the impact of using YouTube videos with captions in listening comprehension lessons on the students’ listening skills and their confidence in foreign language use. A standard questionnaire was used to record their learning experience. In spite of being taught remotely, students improved in listening comprehension and profited from being able to consider their individual needs during listening assignments. They used captions in comprehension difficulties similar to those in real life, such as strong accents, fast speech, and unknown words. Positive correlation was identified between the use of captions and students’ performance in listening tests. It appears captions have a potential to help improve in listening, recognizing accents, segmenting connected speech, and acquiring new vocabulary.