The Effect of Contextual Cues and Word Spaces on Novel Word Learning in Foreign Students: Evidence from Eye Movements

Abstract

Abstract: In order to explore how word segmentation and context cues affect new word learning for foreign students, the current study manipulated the strength of contextual clues and the appearance of new word boundary. Twenty foreign undergraduates participanted in the present experiment, whose eye movements were record when reading sentences including target words (which were new words for participants). Results showed that the first fixation duration on target words with spaces was significantly shorter than that without spaces. When there were strong contextual cues for the target words, participants spent longer gaze duration on words with space than without space. Moreover, the total fixation duration on target words reduced with the increasing learning times, and such reduction was more distinct when there were strong contextual clues compared with weak contextual clues. The results suggest that both word segmentation and contextual cues facilitate incidental word learning for foreign students, and foreign students make better use of contextual cues with the help of word spaces.

Key words: foreign students, contextual clues, word segmentation, novel word learning

摘要： 为探讨词切分线索与语境线索在留学生伴随性词汇学习中的作用，本研究以20名留学生为被试，使用眼动仪记录被试的6次阅读学习过程，考察了在词间空格文本和正常无空格文本条件下语境线索在伴随性词汇学习中的作用是否存在差异。结果发现：词间空格条件下目标新词的首次注视时间显著短于无空格条件；强语境线索条件下，词间空格条件下目标新词的凝视时间显著长于无空格条件；强语境线索比弱语境线索的总注视时间产生了更加显著的下降趋势。结果表明，词切分线索与语境线索均能促进留学生的新词学习；词间空格促进了留学生对语境线索的使用。

关键词: 留学生, 语境线索, 词切分, 新词学习

CLC Number:

B849

LUO Yujiao, WANG Yongsheng, HE Liyuan, LI Xin. The Effect of Contextual Cues and Word Spaces on Novel Word Learning in Foreign Students: Evidence from Eye Movements[J]. Studies of Psychology and Behavior, 2021, 19(5): 714-720.

罗雨娇, 王永胜, 何立媛, 李馨. 语境背景线索和词切分线索对留学生新词学习的作用：来自眼动的证据[J]. 心理与行为研究, 2021, 19(5): 714-720.

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