Multimodal glosses revisited: Interplay of individual differences and repeated exposures

Oct. 2, 2025, 1:15 a.m.
Oct. 3, 2025, 8:56 p.m.
Oct. 3, 2025, 8:56 p.m.
open.access
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Volume 29 Number 3, October 2025 Special Issue: Multimodality in CALL
Wu, Ying Liu, Xiaoxie Zhao, Yuanyuan Chen, Xinyan Gao, Jianwu
2025-09-26T17:56:39Z
2025-09-26T17:56:39Z
2025-10-01
While multimodal glossing is supported by theories like Mayer’s Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning, its effectiveness remains debated due to potential cognitive demands. This study examined how repeated exposures, working memory (WM), and gloss lookup behaviors influence vocabulary retention. Ninety-six Chinese high school students were randomly assigned to four conditions (L2 textual gloss, pictorial gloss, pictorial plus L2 textual gloss, and no gloss). Results showed that (a) repeated exposures to target words enhanced vocabulary learning; (b) repeated exposures to glosses increased processing efficiency (measured by gloss lookup duration); (c) Reading Span was associated with processing efficiency and vocabulary learning; (d) Non-word Repetition’s impact on processing efficiency was reversed with repeated gloss exposures, while its impact on vocabulary learning outcomes was complex; (e) pictorial glosses were associated with the highest processing efficiency, while the Multimodal Gloss Condition showed a significant increase in processing efficiency with repeated exposures, and (f) metacognitive strategy use interacted complexly with cognitive engagement with input. These findings suggest that repeated exposure to glosses can mitigate the cognitive demands of multimodal inputs, offering valuable pedagogical insights for the design of effective glossing strategies in multimedia learning contexts.
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Wu, Y., Liu, X., Zhao, Y., Chen, X., & Gao, J. (2025). Multimodal glosses revisited: Interplay of individual differences and repeated exposures. Language Learning & Technology, 29(3), 92–134. https://doi.org/10.64152/10125/73649
https://doi.org/10.64152/10125/73649
1094-3501
https://hdl.handle.net/10125/73649
3
Language Learning & Technology
University of Hawaii National Foreign Language Resource Center Center for Language & Technology
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
/item/10125-73649/
92
multimodal glosses repeated gloss exposure working memory gloss lookup behavior
Multimodal glosses revisited: Interplay of individual differences and repeated exposures
Article
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