The Effects of CALL Versus Traditional L1 Glosses on L2 Reading Comprehension

Abstract

Meta-analytic research of experiments conducted on the effects of native-language (L1) glosses on second-language (L2) reading comprehension have revealed a significant difference between groups of studies with traditional and computer-assisted L1 glosses. This means that learners provided with L1 glosses comprehend significantly more text—through the medium of a computer—than learners with traditional, paper-based L1 glossing aids. The average weighted effect size of studies with computer-assisted L1 glosses is large (g = 1.09) and differs significantly (p < .001) when compared to studies with traditional L1 glosses (g = .39). This article explores factors explaining how and when computer-assisted L1 glosses can be effective in L2 reading comprehension.