Revista de Investigación en Ciencias de la Educación

Vol. 4, No 8, julio - diciembre 2026, 1-20

ISSN: 3073-1461

https://revistasfiecyt.com/index.php/riced

Video-Based English Subtitles as a Listening Comprehension Strategy for

EFL learners

Subtítulos en Inglés en Vídeos como Estrategia de Comprensión Auditiva

para Estudiantes de Inglés como Lengua Extranjera

Shirley Garcia Romero

Maria Augusta Heredia

Autor de correspondencia:

shirleygarciaromero@gmail.com

Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica.

Ecuador.

shirleygarciaromero@gmail.com

https://orcid.org/0009-0001-2845-9783

Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica.

Ecuador.

mheredia15@indoamerica.edu.ec

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3919-4482

Datos del artículo:

Recibido: marzo 12, 2026

Aceptado: abril 05, 2026

Publicación: julio 08, 2026

Keywords:

listening comprehension, videos,

subtitles, systematic review.

Palabras clave:

comprensión auditiva, videos,

subtítulos, revisión sistemática.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53877/a1qgkb37

Este artículo está bajo la licencia

Abstract

Listening comprehension constitutes a fundamental skill in the

development of communicative competence in learners of English as a

Foreign Language (EFL). Nowadays, learners encounter limitations in

understanding spoken language due to factors such as speech rate,

lexical limitations, and limited authentic material exposure. Given this,

video-based English subtitles have gained relevance as a pedagogical

strategy facilitating simultaneous visual, auditory, and written

information processing. The objective of this research is to analyze

subtitle impact on EFL learners’ listening comprehension. Following

PRISMA guidelines, a systematic review was carried out in ERIC,

DOAJ, and Google Scholar (2020-2026), analyzing 13 studies (n=13).

Results confirmed that subtitles function as cognitive scaffolding given

that multimodal material implementation reinforces phonological

decoding and syntactic analysis across proficiency levels. Nonetheless,

their effectiveness is dynamic and conditional since it depends on

learners’ decoding ability and material complexity balance. Likewise, a

marked study concentration was found in Asia and university contexts,

evidencing a research gap in South American and early education

contexts. Furthermore, to guarantee effective teaching, teachers should

leave behind using audiovisuals as passive entertainment by

implementing pedagogical activities with short subtitled videos and

gradually decreasing textual aid. Hence, developing non-Western

longitudinal studies is imperative to foster contextualized pedagogical

approaches.

Resumen

La comprensión auditiva constituye una habilidad fundamental en el

desarrollo de la competencia comunicativa de los estudiantes de inglés

como lengua extranjera (EFL). En la actualidad, los estudiantes

enfrentan dificultades para comprender el lenguaje hablado debido a

factores como la velocidad del habla, las limitaciones léxicas y la escasa

exposición a materiales auténticos. Ante esto, los subtítulos en inglés

para videos han cobrado relevancia como estrategia pedagógica que

facilita el procesamiento simultáneo de información visual, auditiva y

escrita. El objetivo de esta investigación es analizar el impacto de los

subtítulos en la comprensión auditiva de los estudiantes de EFL.

Siguiendo las directrices PRISMA, se llevó a cabo una revisión

sistemática en ERIC, DOAJ y Google Scholar (2020-2026), en la que se

Shirley Garcia Romero / Maria Augusta Heredia

RICEd: Revista de Investigación en Ciencias de la Educación, Vol. 4, No 8, julio - diciembre 2026, 1-20 2

analizaron 13 estudios (n = 13). Los resultados confirmaron que los

subtítulos funcionan como andamios cognitivos, ya que el uso de

material multimodal refuerza la decodificación fonológica y el análisis

sintáctico en todos los niveles de dominio. No obstante, su efectividad

es dinámica y condicional, ya que depende del equilibrio entre la

capacidad de decodificación de los estudiantes y la complejidad del

material. Asimismo, se observó una marcada concentración de los

estudios en Asia y en contextos universitarios, lo que pone de

manifiesto una brecha de investigación en los contextos sudamericanos

y de educación temprana. Además, para garantizar una enseñanza

eficaz, los docentes deben dejar de utilizar los recursos audiovisuales

como entretenimiento pasivo e implementar actividades pedagógicas

con videos cortos subtitulados, reduciendo gradualmente la ayuda

textual. Por lo tanto, es imperativo desarrollar estudios longitudinales

no occidentales para fomentar enfoques pedagógicos contextualizados.

Forma sugerida de citar (APA):

Shirley Garcia Romero, S. y Augusta Heredia, M. (2026). Video-Based English Subtitles a s a Listening

Comprehension Strategy for EFL learners. RICEd: Revista de Investigación en Ciencias de la Educación. 4(8),

1-20. https://doi.org/10.53877/a1qgkb37

INTRODUCTION

In the context of a globalized and interconnected society, intercultural and international

communication has significantly intensified, making language proficiency an essential tool

for accessing knowledge, engaging in social interaction, and participating in academic, social,

and professional settings. Specifically, the globalization of English has established it as the

lingua franca in most of the aforementioned fields, providing greater opportunities for

personal and professional growth. From this perspective, the development of communicative

competence involves the integrated development of the four fundamental language skills:

listening, speaking, reading, and writing (Hamudi Ali, 2022).

Among these skills, listening comprehension plays a key role in the development of

communicative competence and is a fundamental skill in learning English as a Foreign

Language (EFL). Furthermore, listening is not only the first receptive skill acquired by human

beings but also a core component for improving pronunciation, intonation, and stress in

spoken language (Renukadevi, 2014). In line with this, the use of subtitles in audiovisual

materials emerges as a supportive strategy for learners, as they help them recognize word

pronunciation and understand spoken English (Ünal & Ekmekçi, 2022). Consequently,

enhancing listening skills is essential for language learning and can be supported by

multimodal resources, which facilitate this process in EFL contexts.

In line with the need for such resources, an overall change in traditional educational

habits is inevitable. The growing exposure to audiovisual media in everyday life has

transformed the dynamics of teaching and learning, leading to increased use of video-based

materials in educational settings. This constant exposure to such content has contributed to

learners’ growing need for stimulation and their struggle to maintain focus and cognitive

engagement (Head, 2025). To address these changing needs, educators have integrated

audiovisual resources into EFL contexts to promote a more engaging and dynamic classroom

environment.

Nonetheless, it has been demonstrated that mere exposure to videos does not

necessarily improve students’ listening skills (Alabsi, 2020). This issue highlights the need to

design and implement teaching strategies that genuinely strengthen comprehension. Thus,

Video-Based English Subtitles as a Listening Comprehension Strategy for EFL learners

despite the high exposure to audiovisual resources, many EFL learners still encounter

significant difficulties when processing auditory information effectively (A'R et al., 2025),

which creates a gap between access to pedagogical tools and actual linguistic comprehension.

In order to address this gap, researchers have explored various tools, among which subtitles

stand out as one of the most effective.

Hence, the use of subtitles as a strategy for developing EFL listening comprehension has

been a topic of increasing interest in educational research. Internationally, several studies have

demonstrated that incorporating subtitles into videos fosters the development of students’

listening skills, suggesting that their use in educational settings can enhance comprehension

and engagement with audiovisual content (Manurung et al., 2024). In Latin American

contexts, recent research has highlighted the potential of subtitles as an innovative tool for

listening comprehension development, indicating that although improvements in scores may

vary in terms of statistical significance, learners generally express satisfaction, motivation, and

appreciation for the role of subtitles in spoken English (Chacana et al., 2023). Finally, at the

national level, research in Ecuador has also shown that subtitles facilitate the integration of

spoken and written language through visual support (Ramos Moyano, 2024). Overall, these

studies support the pedagogical potential of subtitles for the enhancement of listening

comprehension across a wide range of educational and social settings.

Nonetheless, regardless of the contribution of the aforementioned studies, there is still

a critical gap in the research topic. On the one hand, although the existing evidence generally

highlights positive student perceptions, there remains an inconsistency in determining

whether these attitudes result in measurable improvements in listening comprehension. A

great deal of current literature is largely based on opinions or perceptions that are subjective

to participants, instead of a thorough evaluation of their linguistic performance. On the other

hand, the studies do not present specific methodological details regarding learners’

proficiency levels or age groups, which leaves teachers without clear guidance on how to

incorporate subtitles successfully into their lessons. Therefore, it is of crucial importance to

carry out research that closes this knowledge gap by evaluating the actual impact of subtitles

beyond students’ perceptions only.

For this purpose, this study addresses the following research question: What is the

impact of video-based English subtitles on the listening comprehension of EFL learners,

according to the available scientific evidence? Consequently, in order to answer this question,

the general objective of this research is to analyze the impact of video-based English subtitles

on EFL learners’ listening comprehension through a systematic review of recent scientific

studies. The specific objectives are to identify the demographic and methodological trends

reported in recent research, including countries, age groups, and types of audiovisual

materials, to analyze the effectiveness of English subtitles on listening performance and how

it relates to learners’ English proficiency levels, and to determine the pedagogical implications

derived from the reported findings of using subtitles for teaching listening comprehension in

EFL classrooms.

Dual Coding Theory

One of the main theoretical frameworks supporting this study is Dual Coding Theory (DCT),

which states that there are two separate subsystems that process different types of

information. One subsystem processes verbal material such as spoken or written language,

while the other handles nonverbal information, including images, sounds, and visual events

(Paivio, 1990). According to this perspective, learning can be more effective when information

Shirley Garcia Romero / Maria Augusta Heredia

RICEd: Revista de Investigación en Ciencias de la Educación, Vol. 4, No 8, julio - diciembre 2026, 1-20 4

is presented through multiple channels simultaneously given that learners can establish

connections in an easier way between auditory and visual input.

From an analytical perspective, the combination of these channels suggests that

subtitles enhance listening comprehension by allowing the brain to associate the auditory

stimulus with its graphical representation. Nevertheless, a critical evaluation of this process

reveals that the potential benefit is not automatic; when a learner cannot catch up with the

speed of the text or the materials are too complex, the verbal and nonverbal subsystems might

compete for the learner’s attention (Zhou, 2025). Hence, according to the principles of DCT,

subtitles cannot be considered an independent mechanism but a multimodal reinforcement

strategy, whose effectiveness depends on the visual channel supporting rather than

distracting the auditory channel.

Listening Comprehension

Within this framework, examining the cognitive requirements of the auditory channel is

essential. As a crucial component of language learning, listening comprehension can be

defined as a complex cognitive processing phenomenon in which learners are required to

execute synchronous phonological decoding and syntactic analysis, linking the linguistic

features of the audio input to their previous knowledge and mental structures (Tran & Duong,

2020). This definition suggests that listening comprehension is achieved through both the

decoding of sounds and their interpretation in a meaningful context.

From a critical viewpoint, this concept implies that successful comprehension does not

merely depend on the accumulation of vocabulary but on the speed with which the brain

processes momentary stimuli. In an EFL context, difficulties might arise because the speed at

which the native spoken language is produced usually surpasses learners’ instantaneous

decoding abilities (Ping & Tao, 2025), affecting the synchronization between the auditory

input and their prior knowledge. As a result, learners are forced to rely on inferencing or

guessing to be able to construct meaning. Therefore, the integration of visual text and auditory

input is essential to support this brief acoustic signal, allowing learners to process both

information channels simultaneously through the implementation of video-based subtitles.

Video-based Subtitles

In the context of language learning, subtitles play an important role in facilitating the

comprehension of spoken content. Subtitling is defined as a systematic process of

transforming spoken dialogue from audiovisual materials into synchronized written text,

typically embedded in the lower region of the visual display. It can be classified into two main

categories: interlingual subtitles, which refer to the translation of dialogue from one language

to another, and intralingual subtitles, which use the same language and are commonly

intended for people with hearing impairments (Alnusairat & Jaganathan, 2022). For the

purposes of this study, the focus is on intralingual subtitles as a pedagogical tool rather than

in their application for hearing impairments.

Based on this classification, it is evident that intralingual subtitles do not serve as

simple visual aids, but as a direct connection between what learners hear and what they read.

By presenting text and audio simultaneously, this resource eliminates the barrier that fast

speech or confusing pronunciation represents (To, 2024). In an EFL classroom, this completely

changes the learners’ experience by enabling them to immediately confirm what they hear

instead of feeling frustrated when trying to decode unknown words. In this way, exposure to

video-based subtitles allows the brain to associate correct sounds with their written

Video-Based English Subtitles as a Listening Comprehension Strategy for EFL learners

representation more fluently, transforming difficult input into accessible and meaningful

material, and establishing a direct link between the use of video-based subtitles and the

enhancement of listening comprehension.

Video-based Subtitles and Listening Comprehension

The relationship between video-based subtitles and listening comprehension reveals a

changing connection that goes beyond automatic benefits, generating important debates. On

the one hand, it is widely recognized that the use of subtitles enhances listening

comprehension in EFL contexts. Subtitled videos support students in processing authentic

material through the integration of visual and written information. This interaction allows

students to reflect on meaning, connect different language input, and interpret messages

accurately. In relation to this, Alabsi (2020) claimed that subtitles facilitate comprehension,

develop listening skills, and function as an effective tool for linguistic reinforcement.

Consequently, they constitute a valuable teaching tool that fosters both listening

comprehension and academic engagement.

This viewpoint about the benefits of multimodal support is complemented by learners’

persistence when facing difficult tasks. In this regard, Nakamura & Spring (2020) state that

while their study did not determine if students overcame the problem of encountering

difficult videos, the fact that they demonstrated significant improvement suggests that they

might have done so. Therefore, teachers might find it necessary to motivate students to keep

watching this type of material even when they find it difficult. Both approaches agree that

subtitles do not function as a visual distraction, but as scaffolding that allows learners to

process authentic material that they might find inaccessible otherwise.

Nonetheless, other researchers suggest that this benefit presents serious cognitive

limits that cannot be ignored. In contrast to the aforementioned perspectives, Aldukhayel

(2021) considered that the presence of subtitles may not lead to improved listening

comprehension, which might be caused by cognitive load, consistently influenced by learners’

proficiency levels. Based on this contrast, it is evident that subtitles in an EFL classroom can

function as a dependent resource whose effectiveness varies according to learners’ conditions.

Hence, the abovementioned stances make it fundamental to systematically analyze how these

variables interact in global research. Understanding the real impact of video-based subtitles

requires examining the available scientific records to determine under what conditions this

resource shifts from being a visual barrier to a cognitive aid for EFL learners.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The current investigation was carried out by making use of a systematic review, which proves

to be ideal to synthesize the scientific evidence gathered regarding the use of subtitles in the

development of listening comprehension in EFL contexts. This type of design refers to a

thorough summary of literature through a collection process that allows researchers to

minimize bias (Nunn & Chang, 2020). In order to guarantee methodological strictness and

transparency when reporting the findings, the study is grounded on the PRISMA (Preferred

Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. The use of this

protocol offers guidance for reporting systematic reviews by reflecting on the methodological

advances used to locate, select, evaluate, and synthesize studies (Page et al., 2021). Therefore,

this standardized framework led to a systematic identification of literature, which assured the

alignment of the search factors with the specific objectives of the review.

Shirley Garcia Romero / Maria Augusta Heredia

RICEd: Revista de Investigación en Ciencias de la Educación, Vol. 4, No 8, julio - diciembre 2026, 1-20 6

Search Strategy and Databases

The data collection phase spanned from December 2025 to April 2026 and solely included

studies published from 2020 to 2026. Regarding the databases, ERIC and DOAJ were selected

because of factors such as open access and their educational focus. Additionally, Google

Scholar was also selected in order to guarantee a thorough coverage of grey and academic

literature. The search process was structured based on a combination of terms such as

“Subtitles,” “Listening,” “EFL,” “Captions,” and “Captioning.” The search equations

included (“EFL” OR “English as a Foreign Language”) AND (“Listening Comprehension”)

AND (“Subtitles”), (“EFL” OR “English as a Foreign Language”) AND (“Listening

Comprehension”) AND (“Captions”), and (“EFL” OR “English as a Foreign Language”) AND

(“Listening Comprehension”) AND (“Captioning”). Consequently, the initial search on the

three selected databases showed a total of 11,231 results. As for the specialized databases, 15

results were obtained from ERIC and 16 from DOAJ, which were characterized by a high

specificity in the field of education. Accordingly, Google Scholar reported an initial estimated

number of 11,200 results. Nonetheless, due to the technical visualization limitations of the

latter platform, the screening process could only be focused on the first 100 pages with a total

of 979 results. Thus, the analysis targeted the articles with the highest relevance level and in

alignment with the search terms employed.

Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria

In order to guarantee the currency and relevance of the findings, specific criteria were

established for the selection of studies. Firstly, the timeframe solely allowed for the inclusion

of articles published from 2020 to 2026, with the purpose of addressing learning dynamics in

the modern digital era. Secondly, given the focus on EFL students, the selected studies had to

be written in English and published in academic journals. Therefore, theses, citations,

conference proceedings, and preprints were excluded to ensure a review process that

guarantees the validity of the documents. In accordance with the aforementioned criteria,

previous systematic reviews were also excluded in order to avoid duplication of data and

ensure the inclusion of empirical and original studies. Lastly, documents solely focused on

students’ perceptions were discarded given that the present article prioritizes research that

measures the actual impact on listening comprehension. The screening and selection of

studies were conducted by a single reviewer according to the established criteria.

Selection Process

The screening process was carried out in three critical phases to guarantee the quality of the

final sample. In the first phase of identification, studies were excluded if their titles were

unrelated to the topic, lacked open access, were solely citations, were duplicates, or presented

technical loading errors. During the second phase of selection, the abstracts of the remaining

studies were analyzed. Documents were discarded if they involved the use of interlingual

subtitles, failed to specify the type of subtitles used, contained significant writing errors, or

were focused on populations with hearing impairments. Finally, during the third phase of

inclusion, the full text of the remaining articles was assessed. A few studies were excluded in

this phase given that they focused solely on audio input without visual support or evaluated

general language comprehension instead of specific listening comprehension.

Video-Based English Subtitles as a Listening Comprehension Strategy for EFL learners

Study Selection

After the consolidation of the databases and the elimination of the technical limitations of

visualization, an initial sample of 1,010 records was obtained for the screening process.

Consequently, the thorough application of the inclusion and exclusion criteria previously

mentioned yielded a final sample consisting of 13 scientific articles (Aldukhayel, 2021; Avello

& Muñoz, 2023; Febrina, 2022; Firdausi, 2024; Haider & Al-Salman, 2022; Li, 2025; Nakamura

& Spring, 2020; Nilawati & Lutviana, 2022; Özgen & Gündüz, 2020; Papadopoulou &

Kantaridou, 2024; Pradana & Fakrhurriana, 2023; Shayeb & Abu-Zahra, 2023; Solijonova,

2024).

Quality Assessment

The methodological quality of the included studies was evaluated by means of the JBI Critical

Appraisal Checklist for Quasi-Experimental Studies (Barker et al., 2024). The evaluation

considered key methodological aspects such as study design, comparability of groups,

validity and reliability of the instruments, control of confounding factors, and the

appropriateness of statistical analysis. Overall, the included studies demonstrated strong

methodological quality with 76.92% of the studies classified as high quality and 23.07% as

moderate due to certain methodological limitations. The detailed results of the evaluation are

presented in Table 1, based on the numerical identifiers assigned to each article in Table 3.

Table 1

Methodological Quality Assessment of Included Studies

Studies

Overall

Article 1

Yes

Unclear

Yes

High

Article 2

Yes

Unclear

Yes

High

Article 3

Yes

Unclear

Yes

High

Article 4

Yes

High

Article 5

Yes

Unclear

Yes

High

Article 6

Yes

High

Article 7

Yes

Moderate

Article 8

Yes

High

Article 9

Yes

High

Article 10

Yes

High

Article 11

Yes

Moderate

Article 12

Yes

High

Article 13

Yes

Moderate

Note. JBI Checklist: Q1=cause/effect; Q2=similar participants; Q3=control group;

Q4=similar measurement; Q5=follow-up; Q6=reliable measurement;

Q7=confounding factors; Q8=confounding control; Q9=statistical analysis

Data Extraction

In order to analyze the final selected studies, a master matrix was developed to organize the

variables extracted from the articles. The information included the database of origin, country,

age group, number of participants, and the learners’ mother tongue (L1). Furthermore,

methodological aspects such as institution type, proficiency level, type of audiovisual input,

group design, research type, and the skills measured were included along with the main

results. This systematic organization allowed for the creation of geographical distribution

Shirley Garcia Romero / Maria Augusta Heredia

RICEd: Revista de Investigación en Ciencias de la Educación, Vol. 4, No 8, julio - diciembre 2026, 1-20 8

maps and methodological trend graphs, which facilitate the understanding of the main

identified findings and are presented in the following section.

Prior to the systematization of data, the specific variables to be extracted from the selected

studies were aligned with the objectives of the research. This step guaranteed that the

systematic review maintained an analytical approach instead of remaining merely descriptive

by the operationalization of each objective as follows:

Table 2

Alignment between Research Objectives and Analytical Variables

Research Objective

Variables Analyzed

Analysis Procedure

Objective 1

Country, age, institution type,

audiovisual material (short

videos, clips, movies, TV

series).

Descriptive frequency analysis

and graphical representation.

Objective 2

Proficiency level (Low,

Intermediate, High, NR) and

reported intervention

outcomes (Significant, No

Significant, Mixed).

Comparative categorical

synthesis and matrix cross-

tabulation.

Objective 3

Interaction between

intervention outcomes,

pedagogical strategies, and

contextual limitations.

Interpretive pedagogical

synthesis and thematic

discussion.

Note. Own elaboration based on the study’s analytical design.

Based on this analytical alignment, Table 3 presents the mother matrix with all the variables

extracted from the selected studies, while Figure 1 depicts the PRISMA diagram, detailing the

information flow and the specific reasons that led to the exclusion of studies in each phase.

Video-Based English Subtitles as a Listening Comprehension Strategy for EFL learners

Table 3

Documentary Analysis Matrix of Selected Studies

Titl

Listen

Read?

The

Impact

Profici

ency

and

Visual

Compl

exity

Learne

rs’

Relian

ce on

Captio

The

effects of

captions

on L2

learners’

compreh

ension of

vlogs

The

Develo

pment

Recepti

Langua

ge Skills

from

Caption

Video

Viewin

g in

Primary

School

EFL

Learner

Authenti

Captione

d Sitcom

Listening

Compreh

ension

Material

English

Languag

Teaching

The

Effects

Intrali

ngual

Subtitl

es on

Jordan

ian

Univer

sity

Studen

ts’

Foreig

Langu

age

Learni

Improvin

Students’

Listening

Compreh

ension in

Foreign

Languag

e Classes

through

Subtitled

Videos

The

Effects of

English

Subtitle

English

Video on

Listening

Compreh

ension

The

Impact

Watchi

Films

without

Subtitle

s on

Listenin

g Skills

of EFL

Learner

The

Correlati

Between

the

Frequenc

y of

Watching

Bimodal

Subtitled

Videos

and

Students'

Listening

Compreh

ension

Using

Intraling

ually

Subtitled

Videos

in EFL

Class:

Effects

Motivati

on and

Linguisti

Performa

nce

How

Watch

ing

Subtitl

YouTu

Videos

Can

Affect

EFL

Listeni

ng and

Readi

Abiliti

Developi

ng 10th-

grade

Students'

English

Listening

Compreh

ension

Skills

Through

Films

Impro

ving

stude

nts

listeni

skill

using

Scoob

y Doo

Englis

subtitl

movie

Yea

2025

2021

2023

2020

2022

2023

2024

2023

2022

2024

2020

2024

2022

Aut

hor

Yan Li

Dukhaye

Aldukha

yel

Daniela

Avello,

Carmen

Muñoz

Mehmet

Özgen,

Nazlı

Gündüz

Ahma

d S.

Haider

, Saleh

Al-

Salma

Ahmad

Sh.

Shayeb,

Majdi J.

Abu-

Zahra

Lusi

Firdausi

Muham

Ihsan

Rangga

Pradan

a, Ria

Fakhrur

riana

Millenia

Berlian

Febrina

Nikoleta-

Kalliopi

Papadop

oulou,

Zoe

Kantarid

Sachik

Naka

mura,

Ryan

Spring

Mohlaroy

im A.

Solijonov

Chan

dra

Nilaw

ati ,

Rizky

Lutvia

Database

Eric

DOAJ

Scholar

Shirley Garcia Romero / Maria Augusta Heredia

RICEd: Revista de Investigación en Ciencias de la Educación, Vol. 4, No 8, julio - diciembre 2026, 1-20

Country

China

Saudi

Arabia

Chile

Turkey

Jordan

Palestine

Indonesi

Macedon

Japan

Uzbekist

Age

Kids (8-

11)

Teenager

s (12-17)

Young

Adults

(18-25)

Institution

Elementa

ry School

High

School

Universit

English

Prograrm

Languag

e School

Proficie

ncy

Level

Low

Intermed

iate

High

Video-Based English Subtitles as a Listening Comprehension Strategy for EFL learners

Audiovisual Input

Short

videos/cl

ips

Movies/

Films

series/ep

isodes

Skills

Measured

Listening

and

Reading

Multiple

Skills

Results

Significa

nt Effect

Significa

nt Effect

Mixed

Results

(Proficie

ncy

depende

nt)

Note. Data extracted from the 13 selected studies for the systematic review.

Video-Based English Subtitles as a Listening Comprehension Strategy for EFL learners

RICEd: Revista de Investigación en Ciencias de la Educación, Vol. 4, No 8, julio - diciembre 2026, 1-20 12

Figure 1

PRISMA Flow Diagram for Study Selection

Note. Flow chart modified from (PRISMA 2020), describing the literature search and study selection.

Shirley Garcia Romero / Maria Augusta Heredia

RESULTS

Figure 2

Geographical Distribution of Studies

Note. Distribution of studies by country, with a strong focus on Asia.

In relation to the geographic distribution illustrated in Figure 2, the results demonstrate a clear

concentration of research on the Asian continent, which accounts for the vast majority of the

selected articles. More specifically, Indonesia stands out as the country with the highest

number of academic publications on the topic, representing 30.8% of the analyzed studies.

Moreover, the rest of the sample articles are equally distributed, with one study per country

in Asian nations such as China, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Jordan, Palestine, Japan, and

Uzbekistan. Conversely, the presence of studies in other regions is limited, with only one

record identified in Europe (North Macedonia) and one in South America (Chile); each of

these remaining cases account individually for 7.7% of the sample.

Figure 3

Age Distribution of the Participants

Note. Distribution of participants by age group, demonstrating a

predominant focus on young adults.

Kids (8-11) Teenagers (12-17) Young Adults (18-25)

Video-Based English Subtitles as a Listening Comprehension Strategy for EFL learners

RICEd: Revista de Investigación en Ciencias de la Educación, Vol. 4, No 8, julio - diciembre 2026, 1-20 14

With respect to the demographic profile of the participants illustrated in Figure 3, the results

indicate a predominant trend toward the study of older populations. Thus, the group of young

adults (18-25) constitutes the most frequent category, representing 53.8% of the literature.

Secondly, the group of adolescents (12-17) accounts for 38.5% of the identified records.

Nonetheless, research on children is significantly scarce, with only 7.7% focused on young

learners (8-11), corresponding to a single study.

Figure 4

Institution Type

Note. Distribution of analyzed studies by academic environment, showing a

predominant focus on higher education contexts.

In relation to the academic environment in which the interventions were carried out, Figure 4

reveals that universities are the predominant institution type, representing 53.8% of the

studies of the sample. In second place, high schools are found with 23.1% of the identified

records. Conversely, the presence of research in other educational contexts is minimal and

evenly distributed, with only one study that took place in an elementary school, one in an

English program, and one in a language school. Each of these remaining environments

accounts individually for 7.7% of the sample. This distribution evidences that current research

interest is mainly centered on higher education, which is aligned with the previously

identified demographic profile of the participants.

Elementary

School

High School University English

Prograrm

Language

School

Shirley Garcia Romero / Maria Augusta Heredia

Figure 5

Results of Intervention Effectiveness

Note. Distribution of analyzed studies by intervention outcome, showing a

predominant trend toward significant positive effects.

Concerning the effectiveness of the analyzed interventions, Figure 5 illustrates that most of

the research articles report positive results. Out of the 13 selected studies, 69.2% reflect a

positive outcome (Significant Effect) in the development of listening comprehension through

the use of subtitles. In contrast, 23.1% of the studies reported that there were no notable

outcomes (No Significant Effect) after the intervention. Finally, only 7.7% of the research

presented varied findings (Mixed Results), indicating that the effectiveness of the subtitles

depended on the proficiency levels of the participants. These findings demonstrate a

predominant trend toward the efficacy of subtitles as a pedagogical strategy in most of the

analyzed contexts.

Figure 6

Results by Audiovisual Input

Note. Distribution of intervention effectiveness across audiovisual input

types, demonstrating a predominant preference for short videos and clips.

Significant Effect No Significant Effect Mixed Results

(Proficiency

dependent)

Short videos/clips Movies/Films TV series/episodes

Mixed Results (Proficiency dependent)

No Significant Effect

Significant Effect

Video-Based English Subtitles as a Listening Comprehension Strategy for EFL learners

RICEd: Revista de Investigación en Ciencias de la Educación, Vol. 4, No 8, julio - diciembre 2026, 1-20 16

When it comes to the relationship between the effectiveness of subtitles and the type of

audiovisual input (Figure 6), the results indicate a notable preference for the use of short

videos or clips. In this category, 69.2% of the articles were identified, of which 46.2% reported

a significant effect, 15.4% reported no significant effect, and 7.7% presented mixed results that

depended on the participants’ proficiency levels. In contrast, the use of movies and TV series

or episodes showed a lower frequency in the analyzed sample. Specifically, TV series

demonstrated significant effectiveness in 15.4% of the total sample, while movies presented

contrasting results, representing another 15.4% split into one significant and one non-

significant outcome (7.7% each).

Figure 7

Results by Proficiency Level

Note. Analysis of intervention outcomes by language proficiency level,

illustrating a predominant trend toward significant effects across all reported

categories.

Finally, after analyzing the effectiveness of subtitles in relation to the proficiency levels of the

participants (Figure 7), it is observed that a significant effect is the predominant variable across

all the registered levels. As evidenced in the data matrix (Figure 1), some studies included

participants from more than one proficiency group simultaneously, hence the results are

divided into 19 instances of analysis from the 13 selected articles. Thus, for the basic level

(Low), 21.1% of the instances reported positive results, while the moderate level

(Intermediate) included 15.8% that showed clear effectiveness. Nonetheless, regarding the

proficient level (High), the sample is smaller, consisting of 5.3% that reported a significant

outcome and another 5.3% with mixed results. Furthermore, it is worth mentioning that the

NR (Not Reported) category also reflects a positive trend with 15.8% of the cases

demonstrating significant results. The remaining 36.7% of the instances reported non-

significant effects. These data indicate that in spite of the participants’ prior knowledge of the

language, subtitles tend to facilitate listening comprehension in the majority of the analyzed

cases.

Low Intermediate High NR

Mixed Results (Proficiency dependent)

No Significant Effect

Significant Effect

Shirley Garcia Romero / Maria Augusta Heredia

DISCUSSION

The purpose of this systematic review was to analyze the impact of video-based English

subtitles on the development of EFL learners’ listening comprehension (n=13). When

comparing the findings to Dual Coding Theory, it is clearly confirmed that the simultaneous

presentation of written text and audiovisual material does not lead to visual distraction. On

the contrary, this resource functions as cognitive scaffolding that reinforces the evanescent

acoustic signal, facilitating the phonological decoding process and syntactic analysis (Malakul

& Park, 2023). In this fashion, multimodal integration transforms complex and authentic

stimuli into linguistic material that is completely accessible to language learners.

Regarding demographic and methodological trends, the records indicate a noticeable

concentration of research in Asia, dominated by Indonesia with four studies, while regions

such as South America (Avello & Muñoz, 2023) demonstrate limited production. This

geographic gap is reflected in the local context, where few indexed studies are available. As a

result, grey literature, such as the theses by Chacana, Hermosilla, and Sandoval (2023) and

Ramos Moyano (2024), becomes one of the few available sources for understanding regional

realities. Demographically, there is a predominant focus on young adults in university

settings (n=7). In contrast, research on children remains minimal, registering only one case.

This methodological landscape demonstrates that current scientific interest is centered on

higher education and non-Western contexts, leaving critical gaps in the early stages of

learners’ linguistic, academic, and contextual development.

A critical finding in the results is the effectiveness of subtitles across all the analyzed

language proficiency levels (low, intermediate, and high). In low proficiency levels (Febrina,

2022; Nilawati & Lutviana, 2022), subtitles act as essential support that reduces anxiety and

frustration when learners encounter fast native speech rates, aligning with Ünal & Ekmekçi

(2022) regarding word recognition. Similarly, for advanced learners (Li, 2025; Shayeb & Abu-

Zahra, 2023), the written text does not lack pedagogical value but turns into a tool for skill

refinement that allows students to identify and overcome complex phonological barriers.

These data strengthen the existing literature by providing empirical evidence that video-based

subtitles can lead to measurable comprehension improvements.

Nonetheless, the findings also delimit the cognitive boundaries of this pedagogical

strategy by validating critical perspectives on cognitive load. Authors who did not report

significant effects (Aldukhayel, 2021; Solijonova, 2024) evidenced that the benefits of

intralingual subtitles do not occur automatically. Therefore, if the lexical complexity or the

speech rate surpasses the learners’ instantaneous processing ability, the visual and auditory

channels compete directly, which leads to divided attention that overwhelms their cognitive

capacity. Hence, the effectiveness of subtitles is dynamic and conditional, depending on the

balance between the complexity of the material and learners’ decoding proficiency.

Regarding pedagogical applications, vital implications arise for EFL teachers. A clear

methodological trend toward using short videos or clips emerged during data analysis (n=9).

This demonstrates that brief materials are ideal to prevent cognitive overload and maintain

focus in the classroom. Although longer videos (Pradana & Fakhrurriana, 2023) prove highly

motivating, they require thorough segmenting to avoid overwhelming students. Therefore,

teachers must not consider audiovisual exposure as a passive activity, reinforcing Alabsi’s

(2020) stance on purposeful strategy design. It is imperative to design viewing tasks,

synchronized tracking, and a gradual reduction of written text as learners’ listening skills

achieve greater autonomy.

Despite these implications, this review presents certain methodological limitations.

Crucially, the literature search was limited to ERIC, DOAJ, and Google Scholar. The selection

Video-Based English Subtitles as a Listening Comprehension Strategy for EFL learners

RICEd: Revista de Investigación en Ciencias de la Educación, Vol. 4, No 8, julio - diciembre 2026, 1-20 18

of these databases might have inadvertently excluded valuable empirical studies existing

exclusively in alternative repositories or restricted platforms. Additionally, Google Scholar’s

lack of algorithmic precision presented challenges by restricting access to the complete

number of sources initially estimated. Furthermore, language restrictions constituted another

barrier by limiting the selection exclusively to published articles in English. Although this

decision guaranteed a thorough analysis of the data, it might have caused the unintentional

omission of relevant literature produced in other languages, particularly from the Asian

continent, obstructing the integration of diverse cultural and pedagogical perspectives.

Ultimately, the reduced size of the final sample, consisting of 13 studies, represents a

limitation for the generalization of the findings. As a result, given the relatively limited corpus

of literature, the obtained data must be interpreted cautiously since it does not necessarily

reflect the pedagogical reality of all global educational contexts. However, the final sample

allowed for a rigorous and detailed analysis of every evaluated article, establishing a solid

theoretical foundation that must be contrasted in future research with a larger volume of

empirical evidence. Given these findings, it is imperative to establish the final implications

that derive from this analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Regarding the first specific objective, it is concluded that there is a profound geographical

centralization of scientific production located in Asia. Conversely, South America remains a

critical, unexplored area in prestigious high-impact journals, which forces researchers to

depend on grey literature to comprehend local realities. Moreover, the marked focus on young

adults reveals that modern research often ignores the early academic stages. Consequently, it

is necessary to guide further investigation toward early childhood and toward the

development of contextualized projects in the South American region.

Additionally, in order to address the general and the second specific objective, it is

determined that video-based English subtitles positively impact listening comprehension by

functioning as cognitive scaffolding. The evidence confirms that multimodal stimuli do not

cause distraction, but rather optimize phonological decoding. Nevertheless, this benefit is

dynamic since it acts as affective support for learners at low-proficiency levels to minimize

anxiety caused by native speech rates, while operating as a mechanism of phonological

precision for advanced learners. However, cognitive load limits this efficacy given that

auditory and visual channels compete when lexical complexity surpasses the learners’

processing capacity.

Lastly, in order to provide a response to the third specific objective, it is concluded that

the effectiveness of subtitled audiovisual material requires teachers to leave aside the use of

videos as passive entertainment. The synthesis of the data indicates that short-length videos

are the most optimal format to maintain attention in the classroom. Moreover, the use of this

resource demands a structured instructional design that goes from pre-viewing preparation

to the gradual reduction of the written text. Despite the limitations in sample size encountered

in this review, the findings provide strong empirical evidence for pedagogical innovation. For

future research and teaching, there is an urgent need to develop longitudinal projects that

evaluate the impact of this tool in non-Western contexts, promoting more inclusive and

representative pedagogical approaches.

Shirley Garcia Romero / Maria Augusta Heredia

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