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In today’s digital age, education has transcended traditional classroom boundaries, moving towards more flexible, accessible, and inclusive online learning. E-learning has revolutionized the way we acquire knowledge, breaking down geographical barriers and accommodating diverse learners. One often-overlooked aspect that significantly enhances the effectiveness of e-learning is subtitling and captioning.
Subtitling and captioning involve the process of adding text at the bottom of a video or audio presentation. In the broadest sense, each serves a different purpose with a common goal: content. Subtitles provide an accessible way for speakers of any language to understand the content while captions provide an accessible way for viewers who cannot hear audio.
At Bromberg & Associates, we are proud pioneers of equal language access for all learners and are always happy to help with your language needs. Simply click here to get in touch with one of our language service specialists. If you are still unsure if captions and subtitles are the right fit for your e-learning project, keep reading and see for yourself.
Enhancing Accessibility and Inclusion
One of the biggest benefits of adding subtitling and captioning to your e-learning courses is that they can play a pivotal role in enhancing the accessibility of educational content to a wider audience. This includes individuals with hearing impairments and those who speak different languages. According to the World Health Organization, there are over 466 million people worldwide with disabling hearing loss. Additionally, a Forbes study in collaboration with Rosetta Stone reveals that 1.5 billion people globally are actively engaged in learning a foreign language.
Looking at the bigger picture, subtitles and captions are in line with inclusive education principles, fostering equal opportunities for all students, regardless of their abilities. These tools are instrumental in breaking down barriers and ensuring that educational resources are accessible to a diverse range of learners.
Boosting Comprehension and Retention
Furthermore, subtitles and captions improve comprehension and retention by engaging both auditory and visual senses. An article published in Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences reviewed over 100 studies that demonstrate how video captions boost viewer retention of video content, and improve their ability to summarize main ideas, identify emotions, and define vocabulary. This dual-channel processing reinforces key concepts, benefiting all learners, not just those with hearing impairments. We have all been there. We watch a video and, at the end of it, we have no idea what it was about. Using both the auditory and visual senses helps you stay more actively engaged in the learning process and retain more information.
Facilitating Language Learning
Subtitling proves to be a potent resource for language learners. The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) reports that learners exposed to subtitled videos experienced a noteworthy 20% faster vocabulary acquisition. Subtitles facilitate the connection between spoken words and their written counterparts, enriching vocabulary acquisition and overall language comprehension.
Enabling Multilingual Education
In a globalized world, multilingual education is invaluable. Subtitling enables courses in multiple languages, fostering international collaboration. Multilingual subtitles help learners compare translations and understand cultural nuances. This promotes cultural competence.
Conclusion
Subtitling or captioning your e-learning video content is not just a feature; it is a gateway to a more inclusive, engaging, and interconnected educational landscape. It empowers educators to reach every learner, enhances comprehension and retention, and fosters global cultural competence. It is a commitment to providing equitable access to knowledge. Every day, subtitling and captioning are allowing disabled communities to participate fully in the learning process and presenting people from all over the world with opportunities in their own languages. At Bromberg & Associates, we have made sure, time and time again, that our e-learning content is as accessible as possible using professionally crafted captions and subtitles, and we offer the same level of commitment to quality to all our clients.