Investigating student attention, meditation, cognitive load, and satisfaction during lectures in a foreign language supported by speech-enabled language translation

In this study, we applied speech-enabled language translation (SELT) during lectures in a foreign language. The SELT program received input from the instructor’s speech and generated translated texts that were shown to students during lectures. We tested the feasibility of our approach specifically with regard to how it facilitates student attention and meditation. In addition, we assessed student perceived cognitive load and satisfaction during lectures with SELT support. To this end, we hired sixty students who attended lectures in English as a foreign language. The students were randomly divided into three groups: (1) Control group 1, with students who learned lecture content with no support, (2) Control group 2, with students for whom transcriptions in the instructional language (i.e. English as a foreign language) were shown during lectures, and (3) the Experimental group, with students for whom SELT-texts (i.e. translated transcriptions from English into the students’ native language) were shown during lectures. We compared the attention, meditation, and perceived cognitive load of the students in the three groups and found that the SELT-texts were the most beneficial for student learning. When the SELT-texts were presented, student attention and meditation levels were the highest compared to those of the students in the other two groups. In addition, students perceived lower cognitive load during lectures in a foreign language with SELT support. Finally, the students were satisfied with their learning experience when SELT-texts were presented. Based on our results, several implications are drawn, and suggestions are provided.