How Interactive YouTube Captions Can Foster ESL Listening and Vocabulary Retention

Abstract The digital media has transformed English Language Teaching (ELT) significantly, specifically in developing listening capability among English as Second Language (ESL) learners. YouTube captions are more effective in this digital era, which provides support to the learners to engage actively in listening audio based contents. This paper deals how interactive YouTube captions improve ESL learners' listening skills and vocabulary retention. Unlike traditional subtitles method, interactive caption features allows learners to actively engage with listening by clicking the text to understand its definition and proper pronunciations. This audio-visual input with textual reinforcement method caters deeper language understanding, along with customized learning experiences for learners with various proficiency levels. The study recommends that participating actively in these caption methods improves word identification, pronunciation accuracy. By incorporating YouTube’s interactive captioning method into ELT curricula, the result is very positive and educators can create more engaging and learner-centered environments. The study emphasizes the pedagogical implications of interactive captions in fosters autonomous learning and effective implementation in ESL classrooms. Keywords: ESL listening, interactive captions, vocabulary retention, YouTube learning, digital pedagogy