Computer-mediated textual and audio glosses, perceptual style and L2 vocabulary learning

The current study examined the effects of first language (L1) textual and audio glosses along with the moderating effect of learners’ visual and auditory perceptual style on second language (L2) vocabulary learning. The participants were first divided into two groups of auditory and visual learners based on their scores obtained from a learning style questionnaire. Then, each style group was further subdivided into three groups who received a text via a screen including a number of unfamiliar vocabulary items with one of the following L1 gloss conditions: textual glosses, audio glosses or no glosses. Learners could either hear or see the L1 definitions of target words by clicking on hyperlinks provided under each target word. The results provided evidence that both gloss types promoted vocabulary learning and indicated that audio glosses were more effective than textual glosses. Moreover, the results suggested the moderating role of perceptual learning style in vocabulary learning. Among the treatment groups, the auditory learners who received audio glosses indicated the highest rate of vocabulary learning.