Subtitles: Magic in the Classroom

Scientific researches indicate that students who learn through subtitles show additional improvement in reading comprehension, word recognition, vocabulary acquisition and overall motivation to read. Talking in your language, closed captions can be good for understanding the twisted lyrics of your favorite rap or hip-hop songs, for instance. Don’t cha want to know why and how it works? We’ve got some of the key tips and tricks for you.

Subtitles reduce obstacles to effective communication, which also go by the term communication noise. Some communication messages are very ‘noisy’ themselves. We bet you can think of loads of rapid rap tracks. Give the nod – it is not simple to get the lyrics from the first time. As a solid hip-hop rule, they are vocalized way too fast, bursting of slang words, and some of the dirtiest ones are even ‘beeped’. It’s quite laborious to decode all that mishmash! This is where subtitles come in handy and help to overcome the buzz. Once you read the lyrics or sing a song with its subtitles, the message gets way clearer.

Subtitles help to identify things and memorize them better. Numerous surveys prove that the more senses we engage, the better we tend to retain details and learn. Watching a video with subtitles includes not only hearing but seeing as well. In plain English, we are able to code the new information in at least two different ways. Try it yourself – take a couple of minutes to watch this short lecture on anatomy of human heart:

While listening to the video and seeing the ventricles, you read the word ‘ventricle’ and you can associate it with its visual image. Your brain memorizes the model of a heart with two ventricles. In other words, it establishes a systematic link between the spoken word and the written word.

Subtitles are ‘hidden’ reading. Reading is a skill that requires practice, and practice in reading subtitles is practice with authentic text. If your kids don’t want to read books, suggest them to see a movie with subtitles. We’d recommend you this simply illustrated and perfectly recorded “Dorian Grey”. Isn’t it almost the same like reading a printed book?