Wearable eye trackers

Abstract

Sight interpreting/translation (SiT) refers to the mode of communication in which source language information is received via reading and target language output is produced either in oral form or sign language. The cognitive aspect of SiT has been examined empirically with participant-, product-, and process-oriented methods, as well as multi-method approaches. Previous SiT research has benefitted from eye tracking technology due to the dominance of visual input during SiT. However, previous studies have used screen-based eye trackers, where stimuli are confined to the screen, and the potential impact of elements beyond the screen cannot be captured, leading to an oversight of the interactional aspect of SiT. Thus, we suggest wearable eye trackers in future SiT studies to thoroughly explore the underlying cognitive mechanisms of this modality. Moreover, we argue that future SiT studies can benefit from triangulating eye tracking data with subjective data, such as interviews, to better understand SiT.