A Correlational Study on Subtitled Movie Watching and Vocabulary Mastery among EFL Students
Abstract
This study investigates the relationship between students’ habit of watching English movies with subtitles and their vocabulary mastery in an EFL context, addressing the limited evidence on how informal audiovisual exposure functions in natural learning settings. A quantitative correlational design was employed, involving 27 students selected through total sampling. Data were collected using a 20-item Likert-scale questionnaire to measure viewing habits (Cronbach’s α = .763) and a 25-item multiple-choice vocabulary test to assess vocabulary mastery. The results revealed a positive but weak and statistically non-significant correlation (r = .115; p = .568), indicating that frequent exposure to subtitled movies is not a strong predictor of vocabulary mastery. These findings suggest that informal exposure alone may not lead to substantial vocabulary development without sufficient cognitive engagement. The study highlights the importance of learner involvement and supports the view that the effectiveness of audiovisual input depends on how learners process the input rather than the exposure itself. This study contributes to the understanding of informal language learning by emphasizing the gap between perceived and actual learning outcomes in natural contexts.
References
Adrefiza, A., Wulandari, K., & Haryanti, R. (2024). Habit of watching English movies in improving vocabulary: What do the students say? Langue (Journal of Language and Education), 3(1), 13–29. https://doi.org/10.22437/langue.v3i1.38146
Arslan, K. (2024). Teaching English vocabulary: Innovative methods. CONTEMPORARY RESEARCH IN LANGUAGE AND LINGUISTICS (ISSN: 2980-2253), 2(1). https://doi.org/10.62601/crll.v2i1.26
Chen, J., Lin, C.-H., Chen, G., & Fu, H. (2023). Individual differences in self-regulated learning profiles of Chinese EFL readers: A sequential explanatory mixed-methods study. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 45(4), 955–978. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263122000584
Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2017). Research methods in education. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315456539
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. (5th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Feng, Y., & Webb, S. (2019). Learning vocabulary through reading, listening, and viewing. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 42(3), 499–523. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263119000494
Hajiyeva, B. (2026). The impact of mobile apps on incidental vocabulary acquisition in EFL contexts. EuroGlobal Journal of Linguistics and Language Education, 3(2), 49–58. https://doi.org/10.69760/egjlle.2602007
Hidayad, F., Despita, D., Novia, F., & Purwanto, M. B. (2024). Language learning approaches: A study meta-analysis of vocabulary mastery in EFL learners. International Journal of Digital Learning on Languages and Arts (IJODLLA), 1(1), 27–33. https://doi.org/10.23887/ijodlla.v1i1.60465
Kord, M. A., Goorchooyi, N. A., & Dehaj, Z. M. (2022). The effect of English subtitle on vocabulary learning: EFL intermediate students. European Journal of Educational and Development Psychology, 10(1), 43–52. https://www.eajournals.org/
Kurokawa, S., Hein, A. M., & Uchihara, T. (2024). Incidental vocabulary acquisition through captioned viewing: A meta‐analysis. Language Learning, 75(4), 939–987. https://doi.org/10.1111/lang.12697
Lee, J. S., & Drajati, N. A. (2019). Affective variables and informal digital learning of English: Keys to willingness to communicate in a second language. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology. https://doi.org/10.14742/ajet.5177
McDermott, R. (2023). On the scientific study of small samples: Challenges confronting quantitative and qualitative methodologies. The Leadership Quarterly, 34(3), 101675. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2023.101675
Mubarokah, E. N., & Rizal, D. (2025). EFL Students’ perceptions on watching English movies as audio-visual media to improve student’s vocabulary mastery. JETLE : Journal of English Language Teaching, Linguistics, and Literature, 5(2), 169–180. https://doi.org/10.47766/jetlee.v5i2.5075
Napa, S., Kristiawan, D. Y., & Setyawan, M. A. (2025). Exploring English vocabulary enhancement in Indonesian EFL students: Case study analysis of mastery of subtitle film in senior high school. English Language Teaching Methodology, 5(2), 187–199. https://doi.org/10.56983/eltm.v5i2.1876
Nation, I. S. P. (2018). Learning vocabulary in another language (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139858656
Nurfauziah, D. H., Aflahah, N. A., Riskina, A., Dayanti, G. R., Yansyah, Y., Kurniawan, D., & Dharojah, R. W. (2023). The use of English subtitle on films to help self-study in mastering vocabulary. Jurnal Keilmuan Dan Keislaman, 35–42. https://doi.org/10.23917/jkk.v2i1.54
Pattemore, A., Suárez, M.-M., & Muñoz, C. (2024). Perceptions of learning from audiovisual input and changes in L2 viewing preferences: The roles of on-screen text and proficiency. ReCALL, 36(2), 135–151. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0958344024000065
Pellicer-Sánchez, A., Siyanova-Chanturia, A., & Parente, F. (2022). The effect of frequency of exposure on the processing and learning of collocations: A comparison of first and second language readers’ eye movements. Applied Psycholinguistics, 43(3), 727–756. https://doi.org/10.1017/S014271642200011X
Pérez-Serrano, M., Nogueroles-López, M., & Duñabeitia, J. A. (2021). Incidental vocabulary learning with subtitles in a new language: Orthographic markedness and number of exposures. PLOS ONE, 16(2), e0246933. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0246933
Peters, E., & Webb, S. (2018). Incidental vocabulary acquisition through viewing L2 television and factors that affect learning. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 40(3), 551–577. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263117000407
Puimège, E., & Peters, E. (2019). Learning formulaic sequences through viewing L2 television and factors that affect learning. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 42(3), 525–549. https://doi.org/10.1017/S027226311900055X
Rezai, A., Soyoof, A., & Reynolds, B. L. (2026). Effectiveness of informal digital learning of English on EFL learners’ vocabulary knowledge: a mixed-methods investigation. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 39(1–2), 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2024.2350419
Rodgers, M. P. H., & Webb, S. (2020). Incidental vocabulary learning through viewing television. ITL - International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 171(2), 191–220. https://doi.org/10.1075/itl.18034.rod
Rogers, J., & Cheung, A. (2021). Does it matter when you review? Input spacing, ecological validity, and the learning of L2 vocabulary. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 43(5), 1138–1156. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263120000236
Schmitt, N. (2010). Researching vocabulary. Palgrave Macmillan UK. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230293977
Soleimani, H., Mohammaddokht, F., & Fathi, J. (2022). Exploring the effect of assisted repeated reading on incidental vocabulary learning and vocabulary learning self-efficacy in an EFL context. Frontiers in Psychology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.851812
Sundqvist, P., & Sylvén, L. K. (2016). Extramural English in teaching and learning. Palgrave Macmillan UK. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-46048-6
Teng, M. F. (2023). The effectiveness of multimedia input on vocabulary learning and retention. Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, 17(3), 738–754. https://doi.org/10.1080/17501229.2022.2131791
Wei, R., & Fan, L. (2022). On-screen texts in audiovisual input for L2 vocabulary learning: A review. Frontiers in Psychology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.904523
Yanagisawa, A., & Webb, S. (2022). Involvement load hypothesis plus. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 44(5), 1279–1308. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263121000577
Zhou, Y., & Wei, M. (2018). Strategies in technology-enhanced language learning. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, 8(2), 471–495. https://doi.org/10.14746/ssllt.2018.8.2.13
Copyright (c) 2026 Muhammad Arif Musthofa, Sudar, Sri Widodo
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
In submitting the manuscript to the FOSTER: Journal of English Language Teaching, the authors certify that:
- They are authorized by their co-authors to enter into these arrangements.
- The work described has not been formally published before, except in the form of an abstract or as part of a published lecture, review, thesis, or overlay journal.
- That it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere,
- The publication has been approved by the author(s) and by responsible authorities – tacitly or explicitly – of the institutes where the work has been carried out.
- They secure the right to reproduce any material that has already been published or copyrighted elsewhere.
- They agree to the following license and copyright agreement.
License and Copyright Agreement
Authors who publish with FOSTER: Journal of English Language Teaching agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the FOSTER: Journal of English Language Teaching right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors can enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the FOSTER: Journal of English Language Teaching published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or edit it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) before and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
.jpg)
.jpg)
1.jpg)
.jpg)
