| The difference between open and closed captions | | | | frequently need the volume turned up much higher |
| merely have to do with a decoder. Open captions are | | | | than those in their twenties and thirties. The older the |
| present at all times, while closed captions are only | | | | audience is, the greater chance of hearing loss. In this |
| visible through means of a decoder. This is why closed | | | | case closed captions are perfect to ensure that |
| captions are the preferred method. Closed captions | | | | everyone will be aware of what's on the screen no |
| leave the option available to the viewer of whether the | | | | matter what age span may be visiting a household |
| or not, and precisely when, the words will appear on | | | | that normally has no need for closed captions at all. |
| the screen. | | | | With closed captions whenever the need arises you |
| Picture this scenario: Your significant other falls asleep | | | | can change your television to meet the needs of your |
| two hours before you, the insomniac, finally starts too | | | | present audience, and then switch back again for plain |
| feel at all close to hitting your head against the pillow. | | | | viewing at the touch of a button. |
| Lights are already dim, so it's too late for reading | | | | For English learners as well, captioning opens a whole |
| unless you want to get out of bed, walk into another | | | | new door of opportunity. When learning to read and |
| room and reopen that mystery novel-a guaranteed | | | | write English, closed captions can be turned on so that |
| way to never fall asleep! There must be a way to | | | | the mind begins to process words and learn their |
| unwind-the television! But what about the noise? | | | | usage. When the English learner is ready to test |
| Sleepyhead over there is a light sleeper. This is where | | | | themselves on progress, a simple switch-off of the |
| closed captions come into play. Throughout the | | | | closed captions creates an often overlooked method |
| daytime hours you may not want to see the words | | | | of learning-possible through simple, at-home |
| flash below the picture of your television screen, but | | | | entertainment with the use of closed captions. Such a |
| with closed captioning, the choice is yours of when to | | | | thought process can increase the time it takes |
| turn on the feature. This after-dark scenario is the | | | | language learners to pick up the style of speech while |
| perfect example of when closed captions provide the | | | | learning new words right in their proper context. |
| perfect solution. Now noise level is low and you can still | | | | These are only a few of the vast positive effects of |
| catch every word until sleep creeps up upon you! | | | | and uses for closed captions. To take the best |
| With closed captions a whole new world is opened for | | | | advantage of these lifelong aspects of educational |
| viewers facing all kinds of situations, from simple | | | | growth and the benefits for the hard-of hearing, |
| quick-fixes such as the scene described above, to | | | | producers and broadcasters absolutely must set their |
| more serious ones, such as when, say, an older, | | | | goals one bar higher. Places such as the Video |
| grandparent or elderly friend is visiting for a day or | | | | Caption Corporation, located in upstate New York, is |
| two. Mature adults, even as young as in their forties | | | | the place to receive just this. |
| and fifties, have at least some hearing loss and | | | | |