Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7fkt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T12:56:16.392Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The effects of L1 and L2 e-glosses on incidental vocabulary learning of junior high-school English students*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 January 2014

Si-Min Hu
Affiliation:
National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan (email: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected])
Viphavee Vongpumivitch
Affiliation:
National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan (email: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected])
Jason S. Chang
Affiliation:
National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan (email: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected])
Hsien-Chin Liou
Affiliation:
Feng Chia University, Taiwan (email: [email protected])

Abstract

While researchers have examined the effectiveness of various online gloss types on incidental L2 vocabulary learning, little research on online gloss languages has been conducted. Previous attempts which compared the effects of L1 and L2 glosses have reported mixed results. To fill the gaps, this study examined the effectiveness of Chinese and English e-glosses on incidental English vocabulary learning on a less-researched student group in CALL – junior high-school English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) students. Seventy-eight students with Chinese as their first language read two online passages with either Chinese (L1) or English (L2) glosses. They were divided into four treatment groups: (1) high-proficiency students receiving L1 gloss before L2 gloss (n = 19), (2) high-proficiency students receiving L2 gloss before L1 gloss (n = 19), (3) low-proficiency students receiving L1 gloss before L2 gloss (n = 20), and (4) low-proficiency students receiving L2 gloss before L1 gloss (n = 20). After reading, the students were assessed with a vocabulary test which contained a definition-supply part and a cloze part serving as both post-tests and delayed post-tests. Repeated-measures analyses of variance were utilized to analyze the score data. Significant differences were found not only among the four groups but also between the two post-tests. Overall the high proficiency groups performed better in the post-tests, but the high proficiency group who received English glosses remembered more words in the delayed post-test than the high proficiency group who received Chinese glosses. The results show that as learners’ proficiency increases, they may be able to make better use of the L2 conceptual links for word retention and learning. The conclusions support the usefulness of both Chinese and English e-glosses which should be selected based on learners’ proficiency level.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © European Association for Computer Assisted Language Learning 2014 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

*

The paper is partially funded by NSC99-2411-H007-052-MY3.

References

Abraham, L. B. (2008) Computer-mediated glosses in second language reading comprehension and vocabulary learning: A meta-analysis. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 21(3): 199226.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chen, H. (2002). Investigating the effects of L1 and L2 glosses on foreign language reading comprehension and vocabulary retention. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Computer-Assisted Language Instruction Consortium, Davis, CA.Google Scholar
Chun, D. M.Plass, J. L. (1996) Effects of multimedia annotations on vocabulary acquisition. The Modern Language Journal, 80(2): 183198.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Davis, J. N.Lyman-Hager, M. (1997) Computers and L2 reading: Student performance, student attitudes. Foreign Language Annals, 30(1): 5872.Google Scholar
Hill, L. A. (1994). Happy readers 3a. Efstathiadis Group S. A.Google Scholar
Hulstijn, J. H. (1992) Retention of inferred and given word meanings: Experiments in incidental vocabulary learning. In: Armaud, P. J. and Bejoint, H. (eds.), Vocabulary and applied linguistics. London: Macmillan, 113125.Google Scholar
Hulstijn, J. H., Hollander, M.Greidanus, T. (1996) Incidental vocabulary learning by advanced foreign language students: The influence of marginal glosses, dictionary use, and reoccurrence of unknown words. The Modern Language Journal, 80(3): 327339.Google Scholar
Jacobs, G., Dufon, P.Hong, F. C. (1994) L1 and L2 glosses in reading passages: Their effectiveness for increasing comprehension and vocabulary knowledge. Journal of Research in Reading, 17(1): 1928.Google Scholar
Ko, M. H. (2005) Glosses, comprehension, and strategy use. Reading in a Foreign Language, 17(2): 125143.Google Scholar
Kost, C. R., Foss, P.Lenzini, J. J. (1999) Textual and pictorial glosses: Effectiveness of incidental vocabulary growth when reading in a foreign language. Foreign Language Annals, 32(1): 89113.Google Scholar
Kroll, J. F., Green, D. W., Tokowicz, N.Van Hell, J. G. (2010) The revised hierarchical model: A critical review and assessment. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 13(3): 373381.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kroll, J. F.Stewart, E. (1994) Category interference in translation and picture naming: Evidence for asymmetric connections between bilingual memory representations. Journal of Memory and Language, 33(2): 149174.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Laufer, B. (1997) The lexical plight in second language reading: Words you don't know, words you think you know, and words you can't guess. In: Coady, J. and Huckin, T. (eds.), Second language vocabulary acquisition: A rationale for pedagogy. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2034.Google Scholar
Lyman-Hager, M., Davis, N., Burnett, J.Chennault, R. (1993) Us Vie de Boy: Interactive reading in French. In: Borchardt, F. L. and Johnson, E. M. T. (eds.), Proceedings of CALICO 1993 Annual Symposium on Assessment. Durham, NC: Duke University, 9397.Google Scholar
Miyasako, N. (2002) Does text-glossing have any effects on incidental vocabulary learning through reading for Japanese senior high school students? Language Education & Technology, 39: 120.Google Scholar
Mohsen, M. A.Balakumar, M. (2011) A review of multimedia glosses and their effects on L2 vocabulary acquisition in CALL literature. ReCALL, 23: 135159.Google Scholar
Nation, P. (2001) Learning Vocabulary in Another Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Read, J. (2000) Accessing Vocabulary. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Taylor, A. M. (2006) The effects of CALL versus traditional L1 glosses on L2 reading comprehension. CALICO Journal, 23(2): 309318.Google Scholar
Taylor, A. M. (2009) CALL-based versus Paper-based glosses: Is there a difference in reading comprehension? CALICO Journal, 27(1): 147160.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Watanabe, Y. (1997) Effects of single and multiple-choice closes on incidental vocabulary learning. JACET Bulletin, 27: 177191.Google Scholar
Yoshii, M. (2006) L1 and L2 glosses: Their effects on incidental vocabulary learning. Language Learning & Technology, 10(3): 85101.Google Scholar
Yoshii, M.Flaitz, J. (2002) Second language incidental vocabulary retention: The effect of picture and annotation types. CALICO Journal, 20(1): 3358.CrossRefGoogle Scholar