Investigating the effects of reverse dubbing tasks on English speaking proficiency and English learning motivation

Abstract

Reverse dubbing represents the process of creating and presenting a video clip that translates the original first-language (L1) spoken dialogues to second/foreign language. This study investigated its effects on English speaking proficiency and English learning motivation (ELM). Two intact classes of English as a foreign language (EFL) college students were randomly assigned to either the reverse dubbing (RD) group or the comparison group. In the course of an academic semester, the RD group completed two RD tasks, for each of which they, in groups, (1) selected a Mandarin L1 video clip, (2) translated the subtitles to English, (3) rehearsed the translated subtitles, (4) created a new soundtrack, (5) combined the video clip with the new soundtrack to produce the dubbed video clip, and (6) played the dubbed video clip in class and then performed the live dubbing again. ANCOVAs and qualitative examinations performed on the numerical data and interview transcripts unveiled that reverse dubbing constituted a significant contributor to the development of English speaking proficiency and led to a statistically significant increase in the level of intrinsic motivation for the participating students. In light of these findings, implications are proposed for the theory and practice of technology-enhanced language teaching and learning.