| This study investigates how grade 11 students of French as a second language in Ontario (N = 93) learn content and vocabulary in French with authentic video. Students in a Reversed condition watched a brief video documentary with English audio and French subtitles first (reversed format), then with French audio and French subtitles (bimodal format), and finally with French audio without subtitles (traditional format). Students in a Bimodal condition watched the same video in a bimodal format twice, followed by a traditional format, and students in a Traditional condition saw the video three times in a traditional format. Prior to the intervention, all students were assessed for general proficiency in French and prior vocabulary knowledge in order to control for initial differences. Content learning was measured by a Content test, and vocabulary learning by a Vocabulary Knowledge Scale (VKS) and a C-Cloze. The Content test and the C-Cloze were administered as immediate and delayed posttests, and the VKS was given as a pretest and a delayed posttest. Analyses of covariance revealed that the learning and retention of content in the Reversed and Bimodal conditions were similar and significantly superior to those in the Traditional condition. The learning and retention of vocabulary in the Bimodal condition were found to be significantly higher relative to the other two groups, whose outcomes were similar. Students' preferences for studying French with different kinds of input (text, sound and picture) were assessed in a Background Prequestionnaire. The majority of students in all conditions expressed a preference for reading (books and black-board), and for listening to the teacher (but not to audiotapes). Almost everybody who claimed attachment to watching video or TV (less than a quarter) was also reading-oriented. Students' input preferences did not affect significantly their performance on the tests, however. Finally, a Questionnaire given after treatment, revealed that students who were exposed to French subtitles reacted very positively to their use, and believed that the subtitles not only assisted their understanding of the video, but also helped them do the tests. |
