Captioning and Playback Speed: Impact on Listening Comprehension of Multilingual Learners at Varying Proficiency Levels (Poster 43)

• In Event: Thursday Poster Session 10:50 am
  In Poster Session: Technology, Instruction, Cognition, and Learning SIG Poster Session

Abstract

This quasi-experimental study examines data from 287 multilingual English learners (MELs) who watched a YouTube TED talk. It investigates how captions influence MELs’ listening comprehension of easier versus harder questions at three different playback speed levels (0.75, 1, 1.25), and how overall proficiency and listening subscores and four background and experiential factors moderate possible effects of captions. Findings reveal significant effects of captions on MELs’ responses to both easier and harder questions, with greater impact at 0.75x speed, compared to default and 1.25x speed. The study also suggests that English proficiency, listening sub-scores, and few background and experiential factors moderated some main effects of the experiment on participants’ responses. Implications for additional language education are discussed.

Authors

• Laura J. Mahalingappa, University of Maryland

• Nihat Polat, University of Maryland

• Jiaxuan Zong, University of Maryland