The Research of Eye-Tracking (ET) Technology in English Reading of University Students: A Systematic Literature Review

Authors

  • Qingli Meng

    School of Languages, Civilization and Philosophy, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Sintok Kedah Darul Aman 06010, Malaysia

    School of Foreign Languages, Taishan University, Tai'an 271000, China
  • Rafizah Mohd Rawian

    School of Languages, Civilization and Philosophy, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Sintok Kedah Darul Aman 06010, Malaysia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i8.10174
Received: 24 May 2025 | Revised: 19 June 2025 | Accepted: 2 July 2025 | Published Online: 25 July 2025

Abstract

Eye-tracking (ET) technology has become an important tool in second language (L2) reading research, yet a lack of comprehensive review studies highlights the need to systematically examine its applications and future directions in this emerging field. This study systematically analysed 32 ET papers, including ScienceDirect, Scopus, Wiley Online Library, SpringerLink, Google Scholar, and the ACM Digital Library, over the last decade to investigate the use of ET technologies in reading research. The study's findings identified seven domains for the use of ET technology in reading research, with strategy research and comparison research emerging as the predominant research paths. The methodologies used in ET study on reading were also recognised. Among them, fixation length, saccade, reading time, and regression were the most frequently used metrics. This review deepens our understanding of how ET technology is applied in English reading research at university, informs the design of more targeted and methodologically sound experimental studies, and promotes the adoption of broader, more diverse, and multimodal research approaches in future investigations.

Keywords:

Eye-tracking; Reading; University Students; Systematic Literature Review; Second Language Acquisition

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How to Cite

Meng, Q., & Rawian, R. M. (2025). The Research of Eye-Tracking (ET) Technology in English Reading of University Students: A Systematic Literature Review. Forum for Linguistic Studies, 7(8), 41–57. https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i8.10174

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Vol. 7 , Iss. 8 (August 2025): In progress

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Article

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Copyright © 2025 Qingli Meng, Rafizah Mohd Rawian

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This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.