The skills enhancement when English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students are acquiring the language has been recently affected by the rapid spread of broadband Internet. More particularly since the appearance of Original Version (OV) video streaming, as it is now available for many English language teachers and students that take advantage of this verbal medium, which provides new opportunities for education and culture. In the present work, we have investigated, through empirical research, the transition from CEFR B1, through B2, towards C1 of different EFL students that have proved how unadapted captioned videos can affect the way they eventually perform when: (1) Gist understanding is evaluated by means of leaving the captions on (B1 students in Study 1). (2) The learners’ listening skills enhancement varies if they are in the habit of watching OV on a regular basis (B1-B2 students in Study 2), and (3) There is an observation of how advanced students (C1 students in Study 3) reading and listening skills improve depending on their level of voluntary exposure to OV videos in the long-term. Results lead us to conclude that the B2 level is the tipping point for students to really enjoy and take advantage of real video streaming TV shows in English as lower levels showed inconsistencies in results amongst them. Complementarily, C1 students that have been independently watching OV TV programmes on a regular basis, showed better outcomes in the listening comprehension tests than those who did not. Nevertheless, the reading comprehension results showed no difference between the two groups.

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the differences and similarities between the original version and an easy-to-read version of Selma Lagerlöfs novel Gösta Berlings saga. The method used is close reading of the two versions and thereby analysing descriptions of the environment, descriptions and psychological depth of the protagonist, missing chapters and changes of the plot. The results show that 21 chapters along with large parts from some of the remaining chapters are missing in the easy-to-read version due to not being necessary to the main story line. An alteration has been made in order to make the story line chronological. The use of invocation and personification of nature by Lagerlöf are missing in the easy-to-read version. There is also fewer details mentioned about the environments in the novel, which is resulting in the reader having to fill in the gaps on his own. The descriptions of the protagonist are few and over all quite similar, though some details are left out in the easy-to-read version and some clarifications have been made. There is a bigger difference between how thoughts and feelings are described in the texts, resulting in Gösta being a round and dynamic character in the original version and somewhat more flat and static in the easy-to-read version. These differances effect how a classroom discussion might be implemented, since the teacher must adjust the conversation so that it may be relevant for all participants.