The Effects of Using Captions in Sign Language Interpreter Videos

Deaf and hard of hearing sign language users are increasingly using sign language interpreter videos when obtaining information from television programs, films and web sites. These videos serve as a tool for interpreting spoken and/or written words. While previous studies have mainly emphasized the benefits of using captions in videos with non-signing content, our study focuses on the use of captions in the signing content itself. Our aim is to identify whether the implementation of captions in single sign language interpreter videos can positively affect viewers’ comprehension when compared with sign language interpreter videos without captions. An experiment was performed using four sign language interpreter videos with information about everyday events: hiking, shopping, culture and sports. Fifty-one deaf and hard of hearing Slovenian sign language users watched the videos alternately with and without captions. Afterwards, they answered ten questions. The results showed that the presence of captions positively affected their comprehension, which increased by 24% among deaf viewers, and 42% among hard of hearing viewers. Significant differences in comprehension between videos with and without captions were only found in the subjects of hiking and culture, where comprehension was higher when captions were used. The findings revealed that the inclusion of captions in sign language interpreter videos can improve deaf and hard of hearing viewers’ comprehension. It concludes with a call for the consistent use of captions in sign language interpreter videos across various media.