Use of English subtitled movies to improve communication skills among M.A. students at a public university in Thailand

Thai learners of English as a foreign language often have relatively good grammar and can read and write English but have lesser skills with regard to listening comprehension and speaking (Choomthong, 2014). Watching movies is enjoyable and when we watch an English subtitled movie, it is not only entertaining but can also improve skills in English communication (Andriana & Angelina, 2020; Rakkusol, 2019).The purpose of this study was to investigate the opinions of EFL learners towards the use of English subtitled movies as a learning tool to enhance English language skills in the area of vocabulary acquisition and pronunciation improvement. The results of the study are expected to guide EFL learners towards using methods which not only enhance learning but are also entertaining and can be employed in using English in everyday life.There were two research questions: To what extent does watching movies with English subtitles help M.A. students (1) improve their vocabulary and (2) improve their pronunciation? The study was conducted using a self-administered Google Forms questionnaire sent to all Year 1 and Year 2 students in a M.A. program at a public University in Thailand. Forty-one (68.3%) of the enrolled students responded and were used in the analysis. Participants were asked to answer background questions, indicate their level of agreement with 27 Likert scale statements, and answer one open-ended question. Respondents expressed consistent agreement that ESMs were a beneficial English learning tool. In terms of vocabulary, ESMs helped in understanding English collocations, the difference between formal and informal words, how to use idioms, slang, and expression correctly, and how to use the correct vocabulary when speaking to foreign friends or colleagues. In terms of pronunciation, ESMs helped understand the linking sounds between words, the intonation used in conversations, how to pronounce initial and final consonant clusters, and how to pronounce exceptional words correctly. One hundred percent of the respondents indicated they would recommend ESMs to others to improve their English speaking and listening skills.