The effect of glossing on incidental vocabulary acquisition in the learning of Chinese as a second language

Abstract

Research on L2 vocabulary acquisition shows that under the right conditions, incidental learning can take place through reading. It is also known that the likelihood of such learning can be enhanced through effective instructional intervention, mainly in the form of reading glosses. Compared to English and other European languages, relatively little is known about glossing and vocabulary acquisition in the context of Chinese as a second language. In this study, we focus on incidental vocabulary acquisition in Chinese and investigate the relative effectiveness of three kinds of glosses: paper-based glosses (PB); e-dictionary glosses (ED), Pop-up glosses (PD). As a related issue, we also consider whether there are differences in learning style and learning preferences between adult learners and teenage learners with specific reference their use of different kinds of glosses. Regarding the effectiveness of different kinds of glossing, it is found that glossing (of different varieties) is generally useful in bringing about some positive outcome. While no significant differences were found generally between different kinds of glosses, it is found that paper-based glosses performed at least as well as CLL-based ones for the adult learners. Adult learners also differ from the younger group in long-term retention rates. Several possible reasons are offered to explain these differences which relate to the learning styles and preferences of different age groups.