The role of age and proficiency in subtitle reading. An eye-tracking study

Abstract

Research suggests that watching video material with the soundtrack in the second language (L2) and subtitles may improve L2 acquisition (e.g., MonteroPerez, Van Den Noorgate, & Desmet, 2013). Studies have focused on different language dimensions, especially vocabulary and listening comprehension, but important issues concerning the adequacy of native language (L1) and second or foreign language1 subtitling to different learner characteristics remain unexplored. In this respect, the use of eye tracking may provide promising insights, because it can shed light on how different learners read the screen text in the L1 and in the L2 (d'Ydewalle and De Bruycker, 2007; Winke, Sydorenko, & Gass, 2013). The present study aims at exploring the effects of age and proficiency on the reading behaviour of foreign language learners by using eye-tracking methodology. These learner variables are of crucial importance for pedagogically oriented research concerned with the use of audiovisual material in the foreign language classroom. This study focuses on the two types of subtitling that foreign language learners are most likely to encounter in real-life situations (classroom, home)2 : interlingual subtitling with the soundtrack in the L2 and the on-screen text in the L1 (L1 subtitles), and intralingual subtitling with the soundtrack in the L2 and the subtitles in the same language (also known as same-language subtitles or captions).