# Predicting Native Language from Gaze

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/1704.07398 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/1704.07398/

## Key facts

- Cited by 9 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 24 Apr 2017.

## Built on by (most cited first, 9 of 9)

- [Natural Language Processing for Dialects of a Language: A Survey](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2401.05632/) (2024)
- [A Survey on Using Gaze Behaviour for Natural Language Processing](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2112.15471/) (2021)
- [Trends, Applications, and Challenges in Human Attention Modelling](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2402.18673/) (2024)
- [Every word counts: A multilingual analysis of individual human alignment with model attention](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2210.04963/) (2022)
- [D'ej`a Vu? Decoding Repeated Reading from Eye Movements](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2502.11061/) (2025)
- [Decoding Open-Ended Information Seeking Goals from Eye Movements in Reading](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2505.02872/) (2025)
- [NLP Privacy Risk Identification in Social Media (NLP-PRISM): A Survey](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2602.15866/) (2026)
- [Eye-Tracking-while-Reading: A Living Survey of Datasets with Open Library Support](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2602.19598/) (2026)
- [Language Proficiency Assessment from Eye Movements in Naturalistic Passage Reading](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2608.30583/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

A fundamental question in language learning concerns the role of a speaker's first language in second language acquisition. We present a novel methodology for studying this question: analysis of eye-movement patterns in second language reading of free-form text. Using this methodology, we demonstrate for the first time that the native language of English learners can be predicted from their gaze fixations when reading English. We provide analysis of classifier uncertainty and learned features, which indicates that differences in English reading are likely to be rooted in linguistic divergences across native languages. The presented framework complements production studies and offers new ground for advancing research on multilingualism.