Effects of captioned videos on learners' comprehension

The emergence of mass media and media literacy has impacted education, including second language programs. Language and communication in social media bring educators new ways of teaching and engaging students in multimodal literacy practices. In most Australian institutions, language studies other than Chinese are offered in a transmedia mode. However, few studies have examined the efficacy of Chinese language acquisition through transmedia in the format of captioned video at tertiary level. In this case study, the use of captioned video was investigated within the context of the use of captioned video within the context of a multimedia Chinese language-learning environment and its effects on learners’ language comprehension at Macquarie University. Both quantitative and qualitive research methods were employed. The results provided both empirical evidence and practical strategies on the feasibility, acceptability and efficacy of a captioned video transmedia intervention into Chinese language acquisition. The findings contribute to the literature on multimedia-based activities that bring digital humanities into language literacy.