Second Language Learners' Use of Marginal Glosses

Abstract

The use of marginal reading glosses by 18 second language (L2) learners is examined through a quantitative and qualitative analysis of audiotaped think‐aloud protocols. How these readers interact with the glosses is identified and divided into five categories or gloss interactions. Examples from each are presented. The primary research question investigated is the following: In print medium, how do intermediate‐level readers of L2 Spanish interact with and apply marginal glosses? More specifically, as identified through think‐aloud oral expression, how is readers' comprehension positively or negatively influenced by marginal gloss use? Findings reveal that although the participants used the glosses to facilitate comprehension 54% of the time, unanticipated uses are also identifiable. Included are examples and suggestions for promoting reading comprehension through marginal gloss use.

Retention of new words learned incidentally from reading: Word exposure frequency, L1 marginal glosses, and their combination

“…This finding indicates that glossing may help learners establish initial connections between form and meaning to facilitate word learning. These results coincided with those of Lomicka (1998) and O’Donnell (2013), who noted that students with access to glossing demonstrated an improvement in the number of causal inferences.…”

“…Given the results of the aforementioned studies, glosses seem to direct readers’ attention to unfamiliar words and encourage processing of the words’ meanings during reading. However, learners tend to skip over glossed words, referring directly to the glossed definition (O’Donnell, 2013). L1 glosses, which have been assumed to have direct and clear links between words and meanings, do not always enable students to remember the meaning of new words in a difficult text (Cheng & Good, 2009).…”

Multimedia Glosses for Enhancing EFL Students’ Vocabulary Acquisition and Retention

“…The concept of glossing has not been largely studied by researchers until late in the 20 th century though it is certainly not a new phenomenon (Poole, 2012) and can be traced to the Middle Ages (Hong, 2010). Traditionally, a gloss is referred to as a comment, note, translation, definition, annotation, synonym or brief explanation provided either in L1 or L2 in the margins, footnote, or near the unknown words in order to make technical, difficult, unknown or unusual words in a written text comprehensible (Chen, 2016;Choi, 2016;Ertürk, 2016;Khezrlou, Ellis, & Sadeghi, 2017;Nation, 2013;O'Donnell, 2012;Schmitt, 2010;Taj et al, 2017;Türk & Erçetin, 2012;Yousefi & Biria, 2015;Xiaohui, 2010). The main reason for using glosses is to help learners to comprehend the text and acquire new words (Melhi, 2014;Vela, 2015).…”

Verbal reports in the reading processes of language learners: A methodological review

“…In using verbal reports to explore comprehension, researchers primarily consider glosses or definitions/notes in the text (Ko, ; O'Donnell, ), attentional conditions (‘i.e. requesting L2 readers to process a written text for meaning while paying attention to specified forms in the input;’ Leow et al ., , p. 683), exposure to enhanced/unenhanced input (Leow, ) and the relative impact on comprehension.…”

“…Ko, ; Akpinar, ). Fewer studies reported including advanced proficiency students (Bengeleil & Paribakht, ; Akyel & Erçetin, ; Hu & Nassaji, ) and low proficiency LLs (O'Donnell, ; Kasemsap & Lee, ).…”