Glossing and vocabulary learning

This article offers a critical review of research on the use of glossing and its contribution to second language (L2) vocabulary acquisition. Discussion topics include the complexity of estimating the effectiveness of glossing relative to reading non-glossed texts, the quest for optimal implementati...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Language teaching 2022-01, Vol.55 (1), p.1-23
Main Author: Boers, Frank
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Achievement Gains
Computers
Datasets
Educational Research
Effect Size
Experiments
Language Acquisition
Meta Analysis
Reading
Reading Comprehension
Reading Materials
Research Design
Second Language Learning
Second language reading
Second language vocabulary learning
State-of-the-Art Article
Vocabulary Development
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Summary:This article offers a critical review of research on the use of glossing and its contribution to second language (L2) vocabulary acquisition. Discussion topics include the complexity of estimating the effectiveness of glossing relative to reading non-glossed texts, the quest for optimal implementations of glossing, issues of ecological validity, and ambiguity around the nature of vocabulary learning from glosses. The general conclusion is that, despite the substantial number of research studies on this subject, many questions remain to which only tentative and provisional answers are currently available. This is partly owing to the wide diversity in research designs across studies and the lack of transparency of many research reports. Suggestions are made for further research on glossing with a view to enabling future systematic reviews to produce more nuanced answers and more informed recommendations for the design of L2 reading materials.
ISSN:0261-4448
1475-3049
DOI:10.1017/S0261444821000252