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Eye-tracking in Second Language Vocabulary Studies
Eye-tracking is a technology used to monitor readers' eye movements, fixations (periods of stable gaze), saccades (rapid eye movements between fixations), and other eye-related behaviors. Eye-tracking has the potential to simulate natural reading because it provides a detailed and precise measurement of eye movements during reading tasks. By analyzing the eye movements (e.g., first-pass reading time, regressions), fixations, and saccades of individuals while they read, researchers could measure the readers' attention distribution while reading to gain more insights into the underlying cognitive processes and mechanisms involved in reading. While eye-tracking has been widely utilized in studies focusing on first language (L1) reading (as mentioned in Rayner, 2009), there is a growing body of research in second language (L2) reading that utilizes eye-tracking to investigate the relationship between processing and the incidental learning of new words through reading.
Recommended Reading of L2 Vocabulary Acquisition Research Using Eye-tracking
Recommended Books on Eye-tracking Studies in the Context of L2 Acquisition
Conklin, K., Pellicer-Sánchez, A., & Carrol, G. (2018). Eye-tracking: A guide for applied linguistics research. Cambridge University Press.
Godfroid, A. (2020). Eye tracking in second language acquisition and bilingualism: A research synthesis and methodological guide. Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.
Some Recent Eye-tracking Studies on L2 Vocabulary Acquisition
Elgort, I., Wetering, R. v. d., Arrow, T., & Beyersmann, E. (2023). Previewing Novel Words Before Reading Affects Their Processing During Reading: An Eye‐Movement Study With First and Second Language Readers. Language Learning.
Godfroid, A. (2020). Eye tracking in second language acquisition and bilingualism: A
Godfroid, A., Ahn, J., Choi, I., Ballard, L., Cui, Y., Johnston, S., . . . Yoon, H. J. (2017). Incidental vocabulary learning in a natural reading context: An eye-tracking study. Bilingualism, 21(3), 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1366728917000219
Mohamed, A. A. (2018). Exposure frequency in L2 reading: An eye-movement perspective of incidental vocabulary learning. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 40(2), 269-293.
Pellicer-Sánchez, A., Conklin, K., & Vilkaitė-Lozdienė, L. (2020). The effect of pre-reading instruction on vocabulary learning: An investigation of L1 and L2 readers’ eye movements. Language Learning, 71(1), 162-203. https://doi.org/10.1111/lang.12430
Eye-Movement Measures
Following are some eye-movement measures commonly used in L2 studies. For a comprehensive overview of eye-movement measures, please read Conklin, Pellicer-Sánchez, & Carrol (2018) and Godfroid (2020).
First-pass reading time: It refers to the duration of the initial reading of a particular region of interest (i.e., ROI) on a text, such as individual words, chunks, short sentences, during the first encounter. It measures how much time it takes for a reader to progress through the ROI without going back or making any regressions. First-pass reading time provides insights into the initial processing and comprehension of an ROI.
Second-pass reading time: It represents the duration spent re-reading or revisiting an ROI after the initial encounter. It captures the time taken by a reader to return to a previous section for additional processing or clarification. Second-pass reading time reflects the reader's engagement with the text, particularly when they encounter challenging or complex information.
Total reading time: It refers to the overall time spent by a reader to process an ROI. It encompasses all the fixations, saccades, regressions, and pauses involved in the reading process. Total reading time provides an aggregate measure of the reader's engagement and effort in processing an ROI. Several eye-tracking studies investigating incidental vocabulary acquisition through reading have consistently demonstrated that TRT significantly predicts L2 learners' performance on vocabulary post-tests (e.g., Wang, A., & Pellicer-Sánchez, 2022). This finding provides empirical evidence supporting the notion that eye movements during reading are driven by cognitive processes, wherein greater attention allocated to an ROI (such as a lexical item) indicates more extensive processing. Consequently, this heightened processing of new lexical items contributes to their acquisition.
References
Conklin, K., Pellicer-Sánchez, A., & Carrol, G. (2018). Eye-tracking: A guide for applied linguistics research. Cambridge University Press.
Elgort, I., Wetering, R. v. d., Arrow, T., & Beyersmann, E. (2023). Previewing Novel Words Before Reading Affects Their Processing During Reading: An Eye‐Movement Study With First and Second Language Readers. Language Learning, 1-33.
Godfroid, A. (2020). Eye tracking in second language acquisition and bilingualism: A research synthesis and methodological guide. Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.
Godfroid, A., Ahn, J., Choi, I., Ballard, L., Cui, Y., Johnston, S., . . . Yoon, H. J. (2017). Incidental vocabulary learning in a natural reading context: An eye-tracking study. Bilingualism, 21(3), 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1366728917000219
Pellicer-Sánchez, A., Conklin, K., & Vilkaitė-Lozdienė, L. (2020). The effect of pre-reading instruction on vocabulary learning: An investigation of L1 and L2 readers’ eye movements. Language Learning, 71(1), 162-203. https://doi.org/10.1111/lang.12430
Roberts, L., & Siyanova-Chanturia, A. (2013). Using Eye-Tracking to Investigate Topics in L2 Acquisition and L2 Processing. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 35(2), 213-235. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0272263112000861
Wang, A., & Pellicer-Sánchez, A. (2022). Incidental vocabulary learning from bilingual subtitled viewing: An eye-tracking study. Language Learning, 72(3), 765-805. https://doi.org/10.1111/lang.12495
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