"Are More Cues Always Better?" Effects of Cue-Based Instructional Support on Chinese L2 Vocabulary Processing and Immediate Learning Outcomes: Eye-Tracking Evidence.

Grounded in the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning and Cognitive Load Theory, this study examined how cue-based instructional support relates to L2 Chinese vocabulary processing and immediate learning outcomes. Forty intermediate-to-advanced learners studied 24 disyllabic pseudowords under four within-subject conditions: no cueing, verbal cueing (linguistic-semantic support via definitions and collocations), physical cueing (typographical enhancement via bolded targets and underlined contextual words), and full cueing. Eye movements, immediate post-tests, and questionnaires were analyzed. The results revealed selective, measure-dependent effects rather than uniform facilitation. In the Orthographic Choice Task, no cueing outperformed full cueing. In the Semantic Priming Decision Task, verbal cueing yielded a higher accuracy than physical cueing, indicating that linguistic-semantic support benefited initial meaning-related processing more than typographical enhancement. No differences emerged in the Sentence Acceptability Judgment Task. Eye-tracking showed shorter first fixations under physical than verbal cueing, suggesting the limited facilitation of early visual orienting. Full cueing showed no consistent advantage over verbal cueing but elicited larger pupil sizes and longer total fixation durations on targets, indicating additional coordination demands. Learners most often preferred full-cueing materials, yet rated verbal cueing as most helpful. An effective cue-based design should align the cue format and content with the target learning dimension while avoiding unnecessary processing demands. The findings reflect immediate learning under controlled conditions rather than long-term acquisition.