Gloss positioning for a gaze aware L2 reading aid

Abstract

An important aspect of language learning is reading texts written in the learner’s second language (L2). However, reading can be a daunting task for language learners, as text may contain a large amount of unknown vocabulary. We developed a gaze-informed application that has the ability to augment articles with information about the text during reading, dynamically providing overlaid captions – or glosses – interlinearly, in the right margin, and a combination of both glosses. To test the usability of each type of gloss, we ran participant studies (N=19) with French learners where marginal glosses led to an increase in vocabulary matching scores (p<.01). We found that gloss positioning preferences mainly depend on L2 proficiency, with intermediate learners preferring marginal glosses and beginner learners preferring interlinear and combination of both glosses. Overall, participants all found that glossed text was helpful, but personal goals and L2 proficiencies affected gloss preferences.