Do Captions Affect Listening? Long‐Term Effects on Listening Proficiency and Comprehension

ABSTRACT This study investigated the potential long‐term effects of caption use on listening proficiency and comprehension. Japanese EFL university learners ( n = 65) watched one episode of a cartoon TV program per week for 12 weeks (Weeks 2–7 and Weeks 9–14). The Caption and Caption Group (CCG, n = 30) viewed each episode twice with captions, while the Caption and No Caption Group (CNCG, n = 35) watched each episode with captions for the first viewing and no captions for the second. Listening proficiency was measured through the TOEIC listening tests in Weeks 1, 8, and 15. To measure listening comprehension, they watched four episodes, with all participants viewing one episode only once with captions and another episode only once without captions in Weeks 8 and 15, respectively. Results revealed that the CCG initially showed better comprehension in the early weeks (Weeks 2–7), but the CNCG caught up in performance in the latter half of the experiment (Weeks 9–14). The CNCG outperformed the CCG on the listening proficiency test in Week 15 ( OR = 1.37, d = 0.17, p = 0.004). The CNCG had higher listening comprehension scores than the CCG in Weeks 8 and 15 ( OR = 1.70, d = 0.29, p = 0.007). While caption use promoted immediate comprehension, long‐term reliance on captions may constrain the development of listening proficiency and comprehension.