INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY - VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HCM CITY

SCHOOL OF LANGUAGES

Subject: Research Methodology (EL012IU)

Topic:
Watching movies with subtitles
as a strategy to enhance listening proficiency by English
Linguistic (EN) students at IU

Lecturer: Dr. DAO NGUYEN ANH DUC

Student’s name: Dương Đào Khải An ID: ENENIU21078
Group: 04
Members: Trần Khả Vy (ENENIU21167)
Thái Hồng Bảo Ngọc (ENENIU21118)
Dương Đào Khải An (ENENIU21078)
Dương Minh Nguyệt (ENENIU21124)
Nguyễn Trúc Thảo Nhi (ENENIU21130)

HCMC, January 30 , 2024

1
 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY (EL012IU) – COURSE ASSESSMENT 3
RESEARCH PROPOSAL
Student’s name: Dương Đào Khải An Group number: 04

Criterion Marks Comments

1. Presentation of paper (font, size, /5.0

margin, spacing, headings, etc.)

2. Use of language (grammar, vocabulary, /5.0

punctuation, etc.)

3. Components:

 Overview & Research problem /5.0

 Research aims, Objectives & /5.0

Questions

 Significance /5.0

 Literature review (incl. the use /10

of academic sources)

 Methodology

- Study design /10

- Instrument (incl. Validity & /10

Reliability)

- Sample and Sampling strategy /10

- Research ethics /10

4. Groupwork participation & contribution /5.0

5. Personal reflection /20

Total: /100
(in figures)
(in words)

2
 PERSONAL REFLECTION

During Research Methodology class, after several activities, I have had first-hand

experience dealing with doing a research , and while it was very interesting, I did

encounter several challenge during my journey. However, I learned some valuable

lessons as a result.

In selecting the study design for a research, a researcher has to choose between

quantitative research and qualitative research. After having taken Research

Methodology, I learned that each research method had its own merit and depend on the

type and purpose of the research. But as far as I know, I would prefer quantitative

research since it provide more information and the information gained is objective,

specific and explicitly defined. Since quantitative research require large number of

participants and information is number and figure based, thus make it easier to test

researcher’s hypothesis. While qualitative research aim at formulate hypothesis.

By choosing the quantitative research method, a researcher have to deal with big data,

therefore, data analysis has become an important tool to extract useful information. So

in doing data analysis, the most difficult part to understand is choosing which variable to

analyse and concubine. Since there are different ways to classify variables. Researcher

has to first consider his research variables’ type to pick the correct methods and

techniques to analyse them and explore their relationships. With great number and

3
different type of information, in my opinion, I consider this to be the most difficult aspect

of data analysis.

In making a research project in group, I believe that constructing an instrument of data

collection has the biggest impact on the quality of my research. Since data is what

guarantee a research report’s validity and reliability, Thus, the questionnaire for my

research had to be tested with a group of pilot participants, and from the pilot data

gained, the questionnaire will be analyzed for consistency. So I am of the opinion that

among the eight steps in the model, the construction of the instrument holds the

greatest significance in shaping the outcome of my research report.

Some scholar believe that “writing is revising”. From my comprehension, this implies

that while people writing, their head will instinctively engage in the practice of reviewing,

reconsidering, and enhancing their written work and improve its content, coherence,

and overall impact. I am making research report, revision is very important since formal

language is required so the process of revising is very important. I believe making

revision simultaneously with writing can be effective but can not be enough.

In the upcoming semesters, as a university student, I will be required to undertake a

thesis or conduct research. Therefore, I am delighted that I have gained extensive

knowledge from my Research Methodology course.

4
EVALUATION OF GROUP MEMBERS’ PARTICIPATION AND

CONTRIBUTION

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY (EL012IU)

5
 Duties Participation Contributi Total Comments /
on Explanation
Group (List all the tasks (10pts) (20pt) Signature
No
members completed) (10pt)

1. Dương Description of 10 10 20 Enthusiastic,

Đào Khải specific problem cooperated
An well,
Purpose of the contribute
study actively to
the
discussions
Theme 3:
Effectiveness of
watching
subtitled English
movies
Instrument

2. Thái Hồng Motivation 10 10 20 Enthusiastic,

Bảo Ngọc cooperated
well,
Theme 4: contribute
Problems that actively to
learners the
encounter when discussions
they watch
subtitled English
movies to
practice their
listening skills

Intstrument

6
3. Dương Description of 10 10 20 Enthusiastic,
Minh the research cooperated
Nguyệt area well,
contribute
Theme 1: The actively to
significance of the
listening discussions
proficiency in
learning
language

Ethical
considerations
4. Nguyễn Importance 10 10 20 Enthusiastic,
Trúc Thảo cooperated
Nhi well,
Theme 2: contribute
General actively to
overview of the
subtitled English discussions
movies in
learning English

Sample and
Sampling
strategy
5. Trần Khả Significance 10 10 20 Enthusiastic,
Vy cooperated
well,
Introduction, contribute
conclusion actively to
(Literature the
review) discussions

Study design

Contents
I. Introduction........................................................................................................................................9
II. Literature Review............................................................................................................................11

7
III. METHODOLOGY........................................................................................................................14
REFERENCES........................................................................................................................................17

I. Introduction
The demand for learning English is increasing significantly, leading to various methods

for improving English proficiency, including listening skills. Recently, watching English

movies with subtitles has transformed into a popular method for enhancing listening

8
skills, surpassing its previous status as a mere form of entertainment (Metruk, 2018).

Since this matter has substantially acquired attention from researchers, some opposing

arguments have been raised about the process of this method; for instance, learners

tend to focus more on reading subtitles and less on the visual and auditory details of

movies because reading is a simpler and quicker process than listening (Markham et

al., 2001).

A variety of papers have shown the effectiveness of movies on learners’s competency

in studying language. Ogasawa (1994) stated that watching subtitled English movies is

widely accepted as an efficient way of presenting authentic input. Our research is

important for the pedagogy of listening since it will highlight the effectiveness of using

subtitled movies for EN students at IU. It is crucial to comprehend a method before

applying it in a practical scenario,contributing substantively to the ongoing evolution of

knowledge in the dynamic field of language education.

Watching movies is a fascinating way to learn in both passive and active ways. Yusvita

(2008) demonstrated that there was a clear positive correlation observed between the

frequency of watching movies and the improvement of their listening skills. Adding

subtitles to videos appears to have distinct benefits in that learners perceive subtitles as

useful (Chung & Hsin, 1999; Taylor, 2005). Hence, this study will be conducted to

explore movie-viewing strategies for developing listening comprehension and identify

students' listening comprehension challenges. It will enhance educators' understanding,

encourage effective teaching strategies, and provide insights for instructors and

students.

9
Regarding listening practice, students also encounter some difficulties when they utilize

movies as a tool for improvement. When watching subtitled movies, viewers may only

focus on the caption that they forget about the purpose of listening. Besides, there is a

wide selection of movie genres that students may not know which one is appropriate to

their levels. Based on the problem stated above, the objective of this research is to

explore how learners utilize films in their learning approach, to identify the effectiveness

of watching subtitled movies in improving English. Finally, it aims to assess the

problems that participants may suffer when they apply this method. The following

research questions will be answered through this study:

1. How do EN students use movies as a tool to practice their listening proficiency?

2. Does watching movies help them to improve their listening skill?

3. What problems do they encounter when they watch English movies to practice

listening skill?

The findings of this study will provide a better understanding of using subtitles while

watching movies and its effect on learners’ language acquisition process, which is

listening skills. In the end, students will have the ability to determine how they can apply

the technique of the subtitled movies for listening progress while entertaining This study

also gives teachers a chance to review some new ideas about movies and an

opportunity to decide whether is id appropriate to make movie-watching become an

activity in class.

10
 II. Literature Review
Introduction

This literature review aims to look for relevant information from various sources to

determine whether using subtitles in watching movies is beneficial for ESL learners’

auditory ability. The selected papers focus on the advantages of using subtitles while

watching English movies and how they enhance the learners’ listening skills. This

literature review gives a general overview of how learners’ listening skills are crucial for

their language understanding. It also scrutinizes the general overview of using subtitles

in English language movies and discusses the effectiveness of watching subtitled

English movies to enhance their listening capability. Finally, this literature reviews some

of the problems that learners may encounter while using subtitled movies to enhance

their auditory capability and providing some worthwhile insight into the problems.

Theme 1: The significance of listening proficiency in learning language

According to Rubin (1994), listening is considered a fundamental skill that language

teachers are most concerned with its enhancement. Ghoneim (2013) mentioned that

listening in a second language can be seen as a skill that demands active participation

from the listener; however, the study environment in some places does not offer a

perfect opportunity to practice it. Since listening is the capacity to comprehend what

others are expressing (Howatt & Dakin, 1974), students can improve their vocabulary,

language proficiency, and language usage, refine their pronunciation, and develop their

speaking skills (Bacon, 1998). Therefore, listening is one of the most crucial skills for

English learners.

11
Theme 2: General overview of subtitled English movies in learning English

Subtitles refer to the written interpretation or transcription of spoken words in movies or

TV (Canning-Wilson & Wallace, 2000). Besides, Severny (2013) defined movie as an

art form that communicates through a sequence of moving images. Therefore, watching

movies is a great way to learn English since it enables learners to hear authentic

English (Sherman, 2003). Moreover, pairing subtitles with audio-visual materials is a

useful technique for improving a second language's listening and reading

comprehension, allowing learners to verify the information they hear by utilizing the

additional support provided by the captions (Borras & Lafayette, 1994)

Theme 3: Effectiveness of watching subtitled English movies

According to Professor Kusumarasdyati’s research in 2004, movies provide exposure to

“real language,” used in authentic settings and the cultural context. Understanding

culture has always been essential to learning a language in general. Thus, to improve

their listening skills, students can get used to the culture or historical context which is

still unfamiliar to them by watching movies (Nur, 2014) . Furthermore, movies can

enhance learning motivation by providing engaging cues that accompany audio or

written inputs, which supports comprehension and production of foreign language

input/output (Hanley et al., 1995).

12
Theme 4: Problems that learners encounter when they watch subtitled English

movies to practice their listening skills

According to Ayu (2022), many students have an obstacle in understanding the topic

being talked about in movies, that is, the speaker’s speed when conversing. That study

also showed that some students stated that they felt difficulty when uncommon words

appeared in a movie, so they needed to check them first or prepare a dictionary to know

the meaning of the words. Meanwhile, some students find it hard when watching movies

with a British accent because it sounds unclear and quite different to understand (Ayu,

2022).

Conclusion:

In summary, most researchers support the effectiveness of subtitled English movies in

significantly improving students' listening ability. Furthermore, the existing papers have

investigated a lot in general English language learners. However, they have not

discussed much about English linguistic students’ listening proficiency, causing

difficulties in helping learners understand the approach to apply in their learning

process. Therefore, the study aims to identify important characteristics and differences

from standard listening techniques that could contribute to current literature and provide

insight for future educators.

III. METHODOLOGY

13
Study design

The study uses a quantitative research approach by distributing questionnaires for

participants to answer, taking into account the grand number of participants and their

lack of time and desire to participate in time-consuming activities. The questionnaire is

designed with Likert-type scale answers along with some closed-ended questions.

Sample and Sampling strategy

150 ESL students at IU were selected to participate in the survey. Students will be

selected from an arranged class to ensure flexible representation. This is the cluster

sampling method, where groups of individuals with shared characteristics are chosen as

units. In order to improve their listening skills, participants view the questionnaires in the

Google form to choose the most suitable answers for their perspective.

Instrument

Method of data collection

Data collection for this study will be carried out through an online questionnaire utilizing

Google Forms. This method offers convenience, cost-effectiveness, and the ability for

researchers to securely store the data of 150 EN students in the cloud.

Instrument: adaptation or development

The study employs a questionnaire containing 28 questions. The questionnaire was

adapted from a questionnaire used by Bordbar et al. (2021), who mentioned the

reliability of the questionnaire asking about the perceptions and strategies of learners

regarding the role of movies in learning English. Borba (2021) ensured the

14
questionnaire's validity by mentioning that an expert checked the questionnaire to

ensure content validity and also targeted the participants’ perceptions and strategies.

Validity & reliability

Content Validity

This research addresses a three-fold problem. The first aspect consists of thirteen

questions exploring how EN students utilize English movies to enhance their listening

proficiency. The subsequent problem comprises twelve questions investigating whether

watching movies with subtitles improves their listening skills. Lastly, six questions delve

into EN students' challenges when using English movies to practice their listening skills.

We are confident that our questionnaire comprehensively covers all the areas of study.

Face Validity

A pre-test was conducted with a small group of ESL students at IU who are not part of

the main study to enhance the face validity of the questionnaire. The valuable feedback

provided by these participants was carefully considered and used to refine the

questionnaire, ensuring greater clarity and relevance of the questions. This process

contributes to strengthening the face validity of the instrument.

Reliability

The research will be tested with a group of pilot participants, and from the pilot data

gained, the questionnaire will be analyzed for consistency, and the instrument will

demonstrate satisfactory reliability.

Ethical considerations

15
This study will involve participants from the School of Languages at IU, including

lecturers and EN students. Since this research aims to determine the effectiveness of

English movies, we will collect the information by entering the listening skill classes

according to the department's schedule. Thus, a Google form survey will be converted

into a QR code for easy access. A data collection letter will be sent to lecturers in

advance for permission. The survey is harmless since it focuses on the learning

process. Informed consent and confidentiality measures will be provided to participants,

ensuring their information remains confidential.

Word: 1671

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REFERENCES:

Markham, P., Peter, L., & McCarthy, T. J. (2001). The Effects of Native Language vs.

Target Language Captions on Foreign Language Students’ DVD Video

Comprehension. Foreign Language Annals, 34(5), 439–445.

https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1944-9720.2001.tb02083.x

Metruk, R. (2018). The Effects of Watching Authentic English Videos with and without --

Subtitles on Listening and Reading Skills of EFL Learners. Eurasia Journal of

Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 14(6).

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/90088

Ogasawara, S. (1994). Effectiveness of using English captioned videos on listening –

comprehension proficiency. 長崎大学教養部紀要. 人文科学篇, 35(1), 103–114.

https://ci.nii.ac.jp/naid/110009604324

Rubin, J. (1994). A review of second language listening comprehension research. The

modern language journal, 78(2), 199-22

https://www.jstor.org/stable/329010

Ghoneim, N. M. M. (2013). The Listening Comprehension Strategies Used by College –

Students to Cope with the Aural Problems in EFL Classes. An Analytical Study.

English Language Teaching, 6(2).

https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v6n2p100

Howatt, A., & Dakin, J. (1974). Language laboratory materials. A Journal for the

17
 Teacher of English Outside the United States, 31(1-4), 1-19.

GG Scholar

Daneshfard, F., Khosravian, E., Alimorad, Z., Honarparvaran, M., & Bordbar, F. T.

(2021). Watching English movies and proficiency development: Advanced

learners’ perceptions and strategies. Global Journal of Foreign Language

Teaching, 11(2), 109–123.

https://doi.org/10.18844/gjflt.v11i2.5660

Bacon, S. M. (1989). Listening for Real in the Foreign‐Language Classroom 1. Foreign

Language Annals, 22(6), 543-550 .

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1944-9720.1989.tb02781.x

Napikul, S., Cedar, P., & Roongrattanakool, D. (2018). The effects of film subtitles on

English listening comprehension and vocabulary. International Journal of Applied

Linguistics and English Literature, 7(6), 104.

https://doi.org/10.7575/aiac.ijalel.v.7n.6p.104

Canning-Wilson, C., & Wallace, J. (2000). Practical aspects of using video in the foreign

language classroom. The Internet TESL Journal, 6(11), 36-1.

https://www.aijcr.org/_files/ugd/c51627_bd738f10144146449ab4e8c0a2e2f803.p

df#page=263

Severny, A. (2013). The movie theater of the future will be in your mind. Tribeca film, 5.

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 https://scholar.google.com/scholar?

hl=vi&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=The+Movie+Theater+of+the+Future+Will+Be+In+Your+

Mind&btnG=

Sherman, J. (2003). Using authentic video in the language classroom. Cambridge –

University Press. https://books.google.com/books?

hl=vi&lr=&id=r3UpResaV4wC&oi=fnd&pg=PA27&dq=Using+authentic+video+in+

the+language+classroom&ots=qdbeID0bPf&sig=g_6g0JPAziKBlfRKxGL3XGznP

Borrás, I., & Lafayette, R. C. (1994). Effects of multimedia courseware subtitling on the

speaking performance of college students of French. The Modern Language

Journal, 78(1), 61–75.

https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.1994.tb02015.x

Kusumarasdyati, K. (2004). Listening, viewing and imagination: Movies in EFL classes.

In International Conference on Imagination and Education 2004.

https://research.monash.edu/en/publications/listening-viewing-and-imagination-

movies-in-efl-classes

Nur, S. (2014). Increasing students’ cultural awareness by using film in teaching cross

cultural understanding. In Proceedings of the 61tst TEFLIN International

Conference (pp. 371-373).

https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/43025554.pdf

Hanley, J. E., Herron, C. A., & Cole, S. P. (1995). Using video as an advance organizer

19
 to a written passage in the FLES classroom. The modern language journal,

79(1), 57-66.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1540-4781.1995.tb05416.x

Yusvita, Riri.(2010). The Relationship between Students’ Habit of Watching Movie and

Their Listening Skill Thesis. Jakarta: Faculty of Tarbiyah and Teachers’ Training

UIN Syarif Hidayatullah akarta

https://repository.uinjkt.ac.id/dspace/handle/123456789/3549

Erlangga, D. T., & Ayu, M. (2022). Exploring secondary students’ perceptions towards –

learning english through movies. The Journal of English Literacy Education, 9(2),

216–228.

https://doi.org/10.36706/jele.v9i2.19141

TIMELINE

20
 PROCESS
TASK
SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN

20 27 0 13 18 2 02 10 15 24 30 06 15 20 31 05 15 20 24
6 5

Choosing -
the
research
areas

Identifying
the
research
topic and
the
research
questions

Finalizing
research
objectives

Finding
reading
sources on
the selected
topic

Identifying
the study
design

Finalizing
all the part
of
introduction

Identifying
research
gap(s).

Identifying
the method
of data
collection

21
Outlining
the
literature
review

Discussing
the ethical
considerati
on

Identifying
the validity
and
reliability of
the
instrument

Finalizing
the
literature
review

Identifying
the sample
and
sampling
strategy

Finalizing
the
questionnai
-re

Drafting and
finalizing
the
research
proposal

Questionnaire (in English)

Hi. We are third-year students majoring in English Linguistics at the International

University (VNU-HCM). We are doing a research paper on the topic “Watching movies

22
with subtitles as a strategy to enhance listening proficiency by English Linguistic (EN)

students at IU”. We want to know your opinion on learning listening skill through

watching movies with subtitle.

We would appreciate it if you fill up the questionnaire.

Name:

Gender: □ Male □ Female

Major: ____________

Student ID: ___________

Have you ever lived in any English-speaking country?

□ Yes □ No If yes, for how long? _________

I. How do EN students use English movies as a tool to practice their listening

proficiency?

Question:

1.What English movie genres do you prefer watching to practice your listening skills?

□ Thriller □ Comedy □ War movies □ Documentary □ Romance

□ Suspense □ Science diction □ Action □ Animated

2.The kind of movie I prefer will affect my learning

□ Strongly agree □ Agree □ Uncertain □ Disagree □ Strongly disagree

23
 3.The pronunciation in the movie that I decide to choose for practice is easy to catch up

□ Strongly agree □ Agree □ Uncertain □ Disagree □ Strongly disagree

4.The pronunciation in the movie that I decide to choose for practice is easy to catch up

□ Strongly agree □ Agree □ Uncertain □ Disagree □ Strongly disagree

5.I practice listening regularly.

□ Strongly agree □ Agree □ Uncertain □ Disagree □ Strongly disagree

6.I plan to practice listening on my own in a fixed period/ schedule?

□ Strongly agree □ Agree □ Uncertain □ Disagree □ Strongly disagree

7.Where do you watch movies with English subtitle for learning listening skill?( lib, class,

at home, other…)

□ Library □ Classroom □ Home □ Coffee shop □ Other

8.How often do you watch movies with subtitles ro practice listening skill?

□ Less than 3 times a week □ About 3 times a week

□ Less than 4 times a week □ More than 4 times a week

9.How long do you watch movie to practice each time?

□ Less than 30 minutes □ About 30 minute

□ Less than 1 hour □ More than 1 hour

24
10.What is the level of difficulty of the vocabulary in the movies that you watch to

practice your listening skill?

□ Easy to understand □ Normal □ Hard to understand

11.Do you usually choose a movie with many episodes or a one-episode movie for

learning?

□ Series □ Short film

12.What devices do you use to watch movies to learn?

□ Laptop □ PC (computer) □ Smartphone □ TV □ Other

13.What other tools/webs that you use to support your listening process while watching

movie? (closed question with other option) research ra

□ Toomva □ eJOY English □ StudyPhim □ ORORO.TV

□ Fshare TV □ None □ Other

II. Does watching movies with subtitles help them to improve their listening skill?

14.I can understand some parts of the movie story while watching with subtitles (the

story, the background, name of characters, &c.) (strongly agree - strongly disagree)

□ Strongly agree □ Agree □ Uncertain □ Disagree □ Strongly disagree

25
15.I feel more confident listening to real-life conversations after enhancing my listening

by watching movies with subtitles (likert scale)

□ Strongly agree □ Agree □ Uncertain □ Disagree □ Strongly disagree

16.I believe that regular exposure to English movies with subtitles lead to a measurable

improvement in listening skills among non-native English speaker.

□ Strongly agree □ Agree □ Uncertain □ Disagree □ Strongly disagree

17.I can understand the meaning of words in many different contexts through each

movie

□ Strongly agree □ Agree □ Uncertain □ Disagree □ Strongly disagree

18.I can easily understand the English videos without subtitles

□ Strongly agree □ Agree □ Uncertain □ Disagree □ Strongly disagree

19.I can understand what is my lecturers’ speaking in English in IU

□ Strongly agree □ Agree □ Uncertain □ Disagree □ Strongly disagree

20.I have noticed the improvement in my ability to understand spoken language without

subtitles after watching movies with subtitles regularly

□ Strongly agree □ Agree □ Uncertain □ Disagree □ Strongly disagree

26
21.I am confident in my listening skills now compared to before I started watching

movies with subtitles?

□ Strongly agree □ Agree □ Uncertain □ Disagree □ Strongly disagree

22.I have received good feedback from others (e.g., friends, family, language

instructors) regarding your improvement in listening skills?

□ Strongly agree □ Agree □ Uncertain □ Disagree □ Strongly disagree

III. What problems do they encounter when they watch English movies to practice

listening skill?

23.I find it difficult to understand conversations with uncommon slang, words and

idioms. (strongly agree - strongly disagree)

□ Strongly agree □ Agree □ Uncertain □ Disagree □ Strongly disagree

24.I find it hard to follow the characters speed of dialogue (strongly agree - strongly

disagree)

□ Strongly agree □ Agree □ Uncertain □ Disagree □ Strongly disagree

25.Subtitles distract me from listening to the conversations (strongly agree - strongly

disagree)

□ Strongly agree □ Agree □ Uncertain □ Disagree □ Strongly disagree

27
26.I tend to try to understand every word instead of the meaning of the sentences.

(strongly agree - strongly disagree)

□ Strongly agree □ Agree □ Uncertain □ Disagree □ Strongly disagree

27.The sentences are sometimes too long for me to follow (strongly agree - strongly

disagree)

□ Strongly agree □ Agree □ Uncertain □ Disagree □ Strongly disagree

28.I find it difficult to deal with variety of accents (british, american, australian….)

□ Strongly agree □ Agree □ Uncertain □ Disagree □ Strongly disagree

28