Enquiry Finds That Captions Boost Language Proficiency
In a groundbreaking study conducted by the Ifo Institute in Munich, the impact of subtitled English TV series and movies on English language proficiency was analysed. The research, which focused on European countries, combined data from 36 nations and results from English tests.
The study found that subtitling English content in a country's own language is associated with improved English language proficiency. Notably, countries that predominantly use subtitles for English-language audiovisual content, such as the Netherlands and Scandinavian countries, showed significantly higher English test results than countries that predominantly dub, like Germany, France, and Italy.
The study's findings suggest that subtitling English content can contribute to better results in English tests, with an effect larger than one standard deviation in some specifications. On average, watching films and series with subtitles instead of dubbing is associated with substantially higher English proficiency, about one whole proficiency level.
However, the study did not find similar benefits for countries that dub English content. Furthermore, the evidence is observational and cross-country, and while the authors controlled for many confounders, causal interpretation can be limited by unobserved country-specific factors.
The Ifo Institute's summary emphasizes the result as economically meaningful and policy-relevant, stating that exposure to original-language audio with subtitles appears to be an effective out-of-school learning channel for English acquisition.
[1] ifo Discussion Paper No. 1111, "Subtitling English Content and the Acquisition of English Proficiency: A Cross-Country Analysis," by Svenja Huth and Philipp Kircher. [2] SSRN, "Subtitling English Content and the Acquisition of English Proficiency: A Cross-Country Analysis," by Svenja Huth and Philipp Kircher. [3] PISA, Programme for International Student Assessment. [4] TOEFL, Test of English as a Foreign Language. [5] English Proficiency Index.
- The study, which analyzed the impact of subtitled English TV series and movies on English language proficiency, indicates that technology, such as subtitles, can play a crucial role in education-and-self-development, enhancing English proficiency levels significantly.
- In a global context, countries that primarily utilize subtitles for English content, like the Netherlands and Scandinavian countries, have demonstrated higher English test scores, suggesting that technology in education-and-self-development can lead to improved English language skills.
