Expanding English Vocabulary Knowledge through Reading: Insights from Eye-tracking Studies

Ana Pellicer-Sánchez

doi:10.1177/0033688220906904

Abstract

Students in academic contexts are expected to engage with large amounts of reading and they frequently meet unknown words and phrases in those reading materials. Previous research has shown that second and foreign language learners can acquire some of the unknown vocabulary that they encounter during reading. However, these previous findings were mainly based on scores in off-line, post-reading tests and thus, our understanding of the cognitive processes involved during learning from reading has been rather limited. Technological advancements have made it easier for researchers to explore learners’ online processing behaviour. One of such advancements is eye-tracking, which provides a rich record of online reading behaviour. The last decade has witnessed an unprecedented increase in the number of eye-tracking studies conducted in second/foreign language learning research, with a particular focus on vocabulary learning from reading. This article illustrates how the use of eye-tracking has helped researchers gain a better understanding of the process of vocabulary learning from reading and of the relationship between eye-movements and performance measures. This article discusses recent research findings and identifies directions for future research.

Highlights

English for Academic Purposes (EAP) students need to read extensively and intensively
Eye-tracking is one of the techniques recently adopted in second language learning research and its use has rapidly increased to the point of becoming a common technique in research in this area
A large number of these recent eye-tracking studies have focussed on vocabulary learning from reading

Summary

Introduction

English for Academic Purposes (EAP) students need to read extensively and intensively. Second language researchers interested in learning processes were mainly using off-line, post-reading measures to examine vocabulary learning from reading. Recent interdisciplinary research has used eye-tracking, in combination with the more traditional off-line tests, to investigate the processing and learning of new words from reading, providing useful insights about the cognitive processes involved in vocabulary learning from reading.

Results

Conclusion