Eye tracking measured fixations, saccades and visual hot zones while 14 Iranian learners in Malaysia memorized English words. Higher-proficiency spellers showed more regressions and longer fixation behavior, interpreted as deeper processing and self-monitoring.
Key findings
- Reported gaze patterns differed by spelling proficiency at the stated statistical threshold. Higher-proficiency participants made more saccades, regressions and longer fixations, whereas lower-proficiency participants showed fewer and shorter fixations.
Why this matters globally
The study connects applied linguistics with process-level cognitive measurement and may support spelling instruction that looks beyond correct or incorrect answers to how learners visually process words.
Thai researcher contribution
M. Alipour and V. Niyomrit of Shinawatra University contributed to a cross-border study of Iranian learners in Malaysia, illustrating Thai institutional participation in regional English-language research.
Limitations to consider
Fourteen participants provide very limited power and robustness. Task design, word familiarity and individual differences may influence gaze metrics, and an association between gaze and proficiency does not establish a learning mechanism or instructional effect.