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Raising Literacy Part 6:
Opening the Captions
by Bill Lauritzen
He can do this because in
1980, a new technology was quietly introduced that allowed hearing-impaired
individuals access to TV and video. This technology is similar
to subtitles of foreign films (except that “subtitles”
are in a different language). The new technology allows “captions”
to be embedded and hidden in the normal video signal. Thus, they
are called closed captions. These captions can be opened by a
special decoder that attaches to the TV set, or is a part of
all TV sets built after 1993.
I recently examined the results of 25 research studies that showed
higher literacy levels as a result of using opened captions (compared
to textbooks alone). There are at least 15 other studies with
similar results. (Only one study I came across showed no higher
literacy rate from using captions.)
Most of these studies were conducted on ESL, at-risk, or adult
ESL students, however, I think that the technology could be useful
with mainstream students also. Why did these studies report higher
literacy with open captions?
Video is a multisensory experience. The students can hear the
word, see moving three-dimensional images of the word in a meaningful
context, and with captions, see how the word is spelled. A video
with opened captions might be called a multisensory book.
Many elementary, at-risk, ESL, and special education students,
who would rather not read, enjoy watching TV. Video and TV are
a visual mode. Due to our evolutionary design, the visual mode
is easier to understand by Homo sapiens than minuscule markings
on paper. It is more similar to the survival activities of gathering
food and hunting for game.|
In the English language, there is a spelling-pronunciation mismatch
that doesn’t exist in other languages. It has been estimated
that 80% of the words in English are not spelled phonetically.
This may be due to the fact that 75% of English words are derived
from other languages. Some simple mismatch examples that I have
thought of are: one (wun), two (too), three (three, but not “th”
as in Thai), four (for).
I remember how for years I mispronounced the words “chaos,”
“corps,” “coup,” and “hor d’oeuvres.”
I had seen these words and I had heard these words, but I had
never seen and heard these words together, so that the sound
was linked with the spelling. Opened captioned TV and video links
the sound with the spelling.
Here is an exercise I gave to seventh grade special-education
students at Toll Middle School (Glendale, California). Said aloud
by teacher: “The two men walked slowly down the hill.”
Written by students: Student A: “The two men walk slowly
down the hell.” Student B: “The tow men weaked slowle
down the hill.” The responses of the other students in the
class were similar.
How many of these mismatches could have been eliminated if these
students had been given access to opened captions during the
ten thousands of hours of TV watched during their youth?
We have a large percentage of immigrants and thus a corresponding
number of Limited English Proficient students. In Glendale, we
have the following breakdown: LEP (Limited English Proficient):
45%. FEP (Fluent English Proficient): 25%. English Only: 30%.
So also almost half of the students have limited use of English.
The National Captioning Center reports an interesting statistic:
more than half of the decoders bought are not bought by deaf
people, but by foreign language immigrants. Perhaps these immigrants
know something that we don’t.
My recent experience while teaching in Glendale is that most
teachers don’t know how to open these captions on their
TVs. Also, most teachers don’t know how to implement “open
captions” into their regular lesson plans.
So teachers, administrators and parents should be informed as
soon as possible concerning the potential benefits of using open
captions to raise literacy levels.
Teachers should be shown how to change the caption mode from
“off” to “on” on the TV menu, especially
in elementary, ESL, at risk, and special education classrooms.
Each school should distribute an information letter to these
teachers suggesting how to incorporate opened captions into their
classrooms. Possibly the teachers should receive special training,
since it isn’t part of teacher education classes yet. Also,
we should also encourage teachers to watch some TV and video
with “open captioning” so they get familiar with the
medium.
Science, history and English teachers should be also given some
information on this technology. I have been in science classes
where the teacher has assigned the students a video to watch,
and told them to take notes on it. The video had to be stopped
continually in order to clarify a word, or to spell a word. Most
of the interruption could have been avoided simply by pressing
a couple of buttons on the TV menu to bring the captions into
play.
I have seen English teachers show a video of a Shakespearean
play and require the students to follow the text while the actors
performed. The students had to constantly shift their eyes from
the text to the TV screen. This could have been avoided by opening
the captions.
Perhaps the superintendent of schools should direct the school
staff to write a letter to parents, telling them the potential
benefits of opened captioned TV and video, and encouraging them
to buy 1993 or later model TVs or a special decoder. (TV, of
course, should always be watched in moderation, and only after
homework is complete. Educational programming is always preferred.)
Almost all evening programs come with captions now, and most
educational programs, and video tapes. Most classrooms have access
to video and TV. So for a very small cost, frequently the mere
push of a button on a remote, I believe we can achieve significant
gains in literacy. We can match the sounds with the letters and
with meaningful moving pictures.
As more teachers use captions new methods will emerge. Perhaps,
at times, the entire video should be shown with the sound off
and captions on. Or perhaps the video should be shown twice.
Once with sound, once with captions. Experiment. Raise literacy.
REASONS FOR OPENING CAPTIONS
ON TV-VIDEO
I. Video-TV is multisensory (sounds, letters, visual meanings).
II. Visual mode (TV-video) more evolution-compatible with Homo
sapiens than purely written mode.
III English language has large percent of spelling-pronunciation
mismatches.
Part 6 of a series on raising literacy by William Lauritzen. He holds a master’s degree in Industrial Psychology/Ergonomics and has studied education for over 15 years. He can be reached via his internet site: Earth360.com
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