1. The Effects of Using Captions in Sign Language Interpreter Videos
Matjaž Debevc, Ines Kožuh
ICED, Athen, 7. July, 2015

2. Situation (deaf and captions)
70 MIO deaf signers (WFD)
Increase of use of sign language translator videos (TV channels, video on demand, YouTube, social networking)
Two different approaches for using sign video: with and without captions
Using captions – positive affects (Yoon & Kim, Szarkovska, Gulliver & Ghinea)

3. Current use of sign language video
TV with SL and no captions
TV with SL and captions
SL only with captions
SL only and no captions

4. Research question
Are there any differences at content comprehension when captions are included in sign language interpreter video or not?

5. Methodology Questionnaire pre-test at ETH, Zürich, CH
Main test with 51 Slovenian Sign Language Users
Mean age - 30 (SD = 17.85), 58.8% male
Test:
Training session: two videos
Experimental session: four videos
Each video:
10 chunks of information
3-7 sentences
words
Questionnaire: 10 questions (10 point scale)
Initially, six blocks of information were designed for the topics: weather forecast, economy, hiking, shopping, culture, sports.
During the pre-experiment, participants were asked to read this six blocks of information in written language only and to fill out the open-ended questionnaires. We wanted to find the least difficult and the most difficult content to have more weighted four blocks of information.
Based on the results, the number of blocks of information was reduced from six to four for the main experiment. Accordingly, four video clips were created on the themes of hiking, shopping, culture, and sports. Two additional video clips for the themes ‘weather’ and ‘economy’, which were excluded from the main experiment, were only used as training videos before conducting the main experiment.

6. Example for hiking Hiking: QUESTIONS: Hiking
In three days, we will hike to a nearby hill.
The trail will be 20 km long and the hill is steep. In that respect, we can expect the hike to last at least five hours.
Please wear good hiking boots and bring warm clothes.
Pack food rich in calories.
At the final destination, we will rest for one hour.
We will come home at around 10 p.m.
How long is the hike?
When is the hike?
Where are we hiking to?
What kind of food should we bring?
How many km is the trail?
Are we expecting cold weather?
What kind of shoes should we wear?
When do we return home?
For how long will we rest?
Where is the resting spot?

7. Results
No significant
change
Comprehension with or without captions

8. Results – overal comprehension
Naslov
Results – overal comprehension
Deaf: increases by 24 %
Hard of Hearing: increases by 42 %
No captions
With captions

9. Conclusion There is a need to support different language approach
Naslov
Conclusion
There is a need to support different language approach
we recommend establishing an international standard for using captions in sign language interpreter videos in traditional and new media (WCAG?)
we could expect higher improvements in the comprehension rates

10. Contact Matjaž Debevc University of Maribor, Slovenia
Naslov
Contact
Matjaž Debevc
University of Maribor, Slovenia
The study was supported by the Swiss National Foundation and the Slovenian Research Agency.