The Impact of the Subtitling Task on Vocabulary Learning of Iranian EFL Learners

Abstract

This study reports on the effectiveness of the subtitling task as a tool for increasing the vocabulary knowledge in Iranian EFL learners carried out at Shamim Arghavan Language Academy in Shiraz, Iran. The participants were 40 low intermediate EFL students between the ages of 20 and 25 both male and female (Level B1 of CEFR). They were assigned either subtitling practice (experimental group) or writing and oral comprehension tasks (control group). Both groups practiced for a total of thirty two hours (8 weeks, 4 hours each). All the participants took a pre-test to ensure the target words were unknown. After the experiment, immediate and delayed post-tests were administered. As the results showed, the subtitling condition caused a more significant L2 vocabulary retention compared to the non-subtitling condition. The findings contribute to teachers of language skills and syllabus designers.