"To gloss or not to gloss": An investigation of reading comprehension online

Abstract

This pilot study investigated the effects of multimedia reading software on reading comprehension.Specifically, the study aimed to explore how multimedia annotations influence the level of comprehension.Twelve college students enrolled in a second semester French course were instructed to think aloud during the reading of text on the computer screen.Participants read the text under one of three conditions: full glossing, limited glossing, or no glossing.In addition, a tracker was set up in the software to record the amount and type of glosses, and length of time that each was consulted.The raw data clearly indicate an increase in the number of causal inferences generated for students who had access to full glossing.Computerized reading with full glossing may promote a deeper level of text comprehension.Pedagogical suggestions for second language (L2) teaching and research will be discussed. BACKGROUNDIt started with the question "To gloss or not to gloss."Although the concept of glossing dates back to the Middle Ages, it has been largely unexamined by researchers until late in this century.Recent literature on glossing has provoked a controversial debate--one that remains problematic even today in foreign language (FL) reading research.Traditionally, glosses provided a short definition or note in order to facilitate reading and comprehension processes for L2 learners.Nation (1983) defined glosses as short definitions; Pak (1986) refers to them as explanations of the meanings of words.Typically located in the side or bottom margins, glosses are most often supplied for "unfamiliar" words, which may help to limit continual dictionary consultation that may hinder and interrupt the L2 reading comprehension process.Despite the perpetual debate, glossing remains a common and acceptable aid for many foreign language text books (Davis, 1989).From the first question, "To gloss or not to gloss," emerges two opposing questions: (a) "Does glossing improve L2 reading comprehension?" and (b) "Does glossing hinder fluency in L2 reading?" (Lyman-Hager & Davis, 1996).Findings thus far related to the relationship between glossing and reading comprehension have been inconsistent (Jacobs, 1994).Johnson (1982) concludes that glossing may not promote a global comprehension of the text.While readers may not be disrupted by glosses during reading, the use of glosses does not necessarily increase reading comprehension (Pak, 1986).Jacobs, Dufon, and Hong (1994) report findings from an experiment conducted with intermediate students studying Spanish: Glossing did not significantly affect recall, but students with an above average proficiency in a second language demonstrated a higher recall when using glosses.On the other end of the continuum, research conducted by Davis (1989), Jacobs (1991, 1994), and Hulstijn, Hollander, and Greidanus (1996) tends to support the use of glossing in L2 reading.Students who were able to consult glosses before reading or during the reading process recalled more of the text than those without glossing aids (Davis, 1989;Jacobs, 1991).Jacobs (1994) reports that third-semester students of Spanish with access to glosses performed significantly better in the amount of the text recalled than students without access to glosses.Hulstijn, Hollander, and Greidanus (1996) studied the influence of marginal glosses, dictionary use, and the reoccurrence of unknown words on incidental vocabulary learning.Advanced students of French, Lara L. Lomicka "To Gloss or Not to Gloss"…

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