English Subtitles and Listening Comprehension: A Quasi-Experimental Study
Abstract
Listening comprehension remains one of the most challenging skills for EFL learners, yet the effectiveness of English subtitles in facilitating authentic movie-based listening instruction remains inconclusive, particularly when authentic feature films are used. This study examined the effect of English subtitles on students’ listening comprehension using The Truman Show. A quasi-experimental design with a pre-test and post-test non-equivalent control group was adopted, involving two intact first-year EFL classes at SMK IPT KARANGPANAS. The experimental group watched the film with English subtitles, while the control group watched the same without subtitles. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and independent-samples t-tests. The findings revealed that there was no statistically significant difference between the groups’ gain scores (p > .05), indicating that English subtitles did not significantly improve listening comprehension. These findings suggest that the effectiveness of subtitles depends on learner characteristics, instructional design, and learning context rather than subtitles alone.
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.31004/jele.v%25vi%25i.3101
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