| Vocabulary acquisition, regarded as one of the most important aspects of second language acquisition, can be categorized into two kinds:intentional vocabulary acquisition and incidental vocabulary acquisition, of which the latter often occurs through reading comprehension. It has been generally agreed that glosses play a facilitative role in incidental vocabulary acquisition through reading. Recently, the research focus on glosses has shifted from whether glosses can aid vocabulary acquisition to which type of glosses is more effective. However, the gloss types are so diverse that there still exist some questions to be answered. Based on the previous studies, the present study attempts to investigate the effects of different gloss presentation forms on Chinese EFL learners’incidental vocabulary acquisition through reading. Two important factors, i.e. gloss position (pre-text, post-text) and textual enhancement (with textual enhancement, without textual enhancement), as well as their interaction effects are examined.An experiment, including reading comprehension tests, immediate vocabulary tests, delayed vocabulary tests and semi-structured interviews, was conducted among sophomore students majoring in English in Zhejiang University. The results show that different gloss positions (pre-text, post-text) and textual enhancement (with textual enhancement, without textual enhancement) do not have significantly different effects on Chinese EFL learners’incidental vocabulary acquisition through reading and that no significant interaction effects between gloss position and textual enhancement have been found. Besides, students’performances on the immediate vocabulary tests and the delayed vocabulary tests are significantly correlated and delayed vocabulary retention is significantly weaker than immediate vocabulary retention. The current study sheds some light for English teachers and English textbook publishers in China. |
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