The Effects of Electronic Glossing Types on Foreign Language Vocabulary Learning: Different Types of Format and Glossary Information

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of three different types of electronic textual glosses, tooltip-type glossing, frame-type glossing, and concordance glossing on foreign language vocabulary learning. While the first two glossing types provide the definitions of glossed words, with the only difference being their user interface designs, the third type provides authentic concordance sentences for glossed words. A total of 83 university students of English as a foreign language (EFL) participated in the study. They completed a computer-based reading task, meaning-recall vocabulary tests at three different points in time, and a post-reading questionnaire. The results showed that the intermediate EFL learners were affected not by a difference in terms of glossing formats, but by the type of information provided, with tooltip-type and frame-type glosses bringing about more positive learning outcomes. While the three groups all experienced a similar cognitive load, the findings further revealed that the tooltip-type and frame-type groups made greater gains of target vocabulary than their concordance counterpart. Moreover, the participants from the two former groups consequently rated their respective glossing more positively than those from the latter group.