The Effects of Subtitle Reading on Information Acquisition in Multimodal Text Viewing: An Eye-Tracking and Questionnaire-Based Study

Abstract

With the rapid digitalization of media environments, multimodal audiovisual materials have become an increasingly important resource for information access and second language learning. This study examines the role of subtitles in information acquisition during audiovisual viewing by integrating eye-tracking measures with performance-based learning outcomes. A total of 108 Chinese university learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) participated in an eye-tracking experiment and completed post-viewing tests assessing information acquisition under subtitled and non-subtitled conditions. The results showed that learners in the subtitle condition achieved significantly higher overall learning outcomes than those in the no-subtitle condition. However, correlation analyses revealed no significant association between visual attention to subtitle regions and test performance. These findings indicate that while subtitles facilitate information acquisition at the group level, the amount of visual attention allocated to subtitles alone does not reliably predict individual learning gains. The study provides empirical evidence for the complex relationship between visual attention and learning outcomes in multimodal environments, contributing to cognitive research on audiovisual translation and offering pedagogical implications for the effective use of subtitles in multimodal language learning contexts.