Investigating Students' Attitudes towards Pedagogical Dictionaries: A Study of Sudanese English Majors (original) (raw)
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International Journal of Applied Linguistics & English Literature
The dictionary should always be present in language education. It is the tool with which EFL teachers can effectively perform teaching tasks in their classes. Good teachers should take on the habit of consulting their dictionaries to assimilate the lexical, syntactical, phonological, morphological, etymological and more other features of one word or expression that a good dictionary can provide. This paper is investigating the attitudes of English language teachers in the use of this important teaching aid. It is an additional viewpoint from EL teachers in four Sudanese State Universities on the use of dictionary in their classes. The findings of this research might be of significance to other researchers, teachers, language learners and textbook designers; and the results may be applicable in many similar EFL environments round the globe.
A Study of Dictionary Use by Saudi EFL Students at Qassim University
Dictionaries are an indispensable tool for learning a foreign language in general. Dictionaries provide students with valuable information in all aspects of language. They include phonological, morphological, syntactical and semantic information in addition to etymological and usage information. Unfortunately, there is currently a paucity of research on dictionary use by EFL learners and very little is known about the behavior and preferences of dictionary users and the complex operation involved in a dictionary consultation. The main objective of this study is to identify types of dictionaries used by Saudi students, the frequency of dictionary use, and the lexical information examined while using a dictionary. Two data-collection instruments were used in this study, namely a questionnaires and interviews. The results of the questionnaire show that Saudi students do not take full advantage of the different dictionaries available, and that they are not trained on how to make full use of the dictionaries. For example, most of them pay attention only to the definition or meaning of a word while neglecting the pragmatic aspect of the word, collocations as well as word formation knowledge.
Jordanian EFL Teachers’ Attitudes towards Dictionaries and their Use in EFL Classrooms
Journal of Education and Practice, 2020
The present study is an attempt to investigate EFL university teachers' attitudes about the importance of the dictionary as an effective learning tool. It also aims at identifying the type of dictionaries preferred by teachers and the types of skills that EFL learners can be improved by the use of the dictionary. Forty EFL teachers responded to a written questionnaire, which included 22 statements. The findings generally revealed that participants do have positive attitudes towards the dictionary as a learning aid. Moreover, the findings revealed that electronic dictionaries are preferred over paper-based ones. However, contrary to our expectations, the findings revealed that although EFL university teachers appreciate the importance of the dictionary, they do not pass this positivity to their students and that they believe using a dictionary is the students' responsibility. The study concluded that by incorporating dictionary usage into classroom practice regularly, EFL teachers will raise their students' awareness of the type of information they can find in the dictionary, how they can use it to serve academic purposes, and become more autonomous learners.
The Dictionary Use at the University of Kufa: A Case Study
اداب الكـوفة, 2008
It seems self-evident that dictionary consultation constitutes an important stage in the process of language learning. Dictionaries provide students with valuable information in all aspects of language. They include phonological, morphological, syntactical and semantic information in addition to etymological and usage information (Al-salami,1988). Unfortunately, students are unable to make full use of the vast amount of information provided in dictionaries. The reason behind that is the inadequate training of learners in the use of dictionaries (Berwick and Horsfal ,(1996); Wright, (1998); Nesi , (2000). If we want our students to be efficient users of dictionaries we have to know how they use these sources of information. Very little is known about the behaviour and preferences of dictionary users and the complex operation involved in a dictionary consultation(Hartmann and James, (1998). This paper discusses the results of a questionnaire distributed to a random sample of students of University of Kufa regarding the types of dictionaries used, the frequency of use, the main reason for consultation……etc. The final conclusion reached is that our students do not make full use of the riches found in the dictionaries and they are not trained on how to make full use of the dictionary. We suggest that the reference skill of our students should be developed through the teaching of lexicography at all stages and the training on dictionary use.
Годишњак Филозофског факултета у Новом Саду
This paper explores how tertiary level teachers of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) and their students use dictionaries in ESP teaching and learning. The study included 21 ESP teachers and 705 students from the University of Novi Sad. Data were gathered by conducting a questionnaire (one for teachers and one for students) and an interview. The teachers’ questionnaire had 45 questions, whereas the students' contained 60 questions. Of these, 16 questions were identical and the answers to them were compared using ANOVA. The results reveal that the teachers’ and students’ views of dictionary use differ significantly with respect to 11 questions. The students primarily use online bilingual dictionaries and tools, whereas the teachers prefer monolingual dictionaries in the form of mobile phone applications. Dictionaries were primarily used for finding word meanings, with students failing to understand all lexicographic information. The results necessitate that both students and tea...
Learners’ Perceptions of Monolingual Dictionaries in Learning English as a Foreign Language
2019
Dictionary is an acknowledged learning tool which has a tremendous role in acquiring a language. It has proved to be helpful in learning vocabulary and developing language proficiency. The use of monolingual dictionaries is thought to be very fruitful for learning vocabulary. The present study used survey method to gain the perception of the students about the use of monolingual dictionaries for learning EFL. The study also used interviews of EFL teachers to support the findings of the study by eliciting their perceptions about the use of dictionaries by students. A questionnaire was administered in two governmental secondary schools of Zulfi, Saudi Arabia. It was sent to 99 students but a number 92 students responded. Internal reliability of the questionnaire was.81. Descriptive statistical methods were used for analyzing the quantitative data. Additional interviews with 9 teachers were also conducted to support the findings of the questionnaire. Collective thematic analysis of all interviews was conducted to analyze the qualitative data. The results showed that students have positive views about the use of dictionaries for learning EFL; they prefer to use monolingual dictionaries, but they cannot truly use them because bilingual dictionaries are easier and more helpful for them in translation as well as their process of learning English language due to their low proficiency levels. The paper puts forth some recommendations and suggestions that will be helpful for using monolingual dictionaries. It concludes by focussing on the problems in handling monolingual dictionaries.
Dictionary Use and Perceptions Regarding Dictionaries
This survey examines factors relating to student dictionary ownership , as well as perceptions concerning dictionary use, and the quality of current dictionaries in light of likeable, dislikable, and desirable features as determined by the survey population. Data collection through the survey-method allowed for a distribution of 270 questionnaires to eight freshman classes, resulting in a return of 244 useable surveys for the study. The focus of this study's questionnaire is threefold , and gathers data concerning the background of the student's dictionary(s), student's use of their dictionary(s), and dictionary characteristics and features of relevance to the Korean EFL student. Analysis of the data allows us to see what kind of dictionary students possess, where and how they most often put their dictionary to use, and what they would like to see in an ideal dictionary. Further, the results suggest that students are active dictionary users who are aware of the shortcomings and virtues of their current dictionaries and, having consciously evaluated these aspects, will take them into consideration when acquiring a future dictionary. A discussion of survey findings culminates with recommendations on dictionary selection for University English Program (UEP) students within Korea.
Efficacy of Explicit Teaching of Lexicographical Skills: The Case of Sudanese English Majors
A substantial body of research has revealed that EFL students conceive of a monolingual dictionary primarily as a repository of definitions to the almost utter neglect of the other entry components. Since existing lexicographical Sudanese literature has uncovered an even more subsidiary role for monolingual dictionaries, further investigations were needed to verify whether knowledge and skills to tap the inexhaustible resources of the dictionary can be enhanced through direct teaching regiments. Hence, the aim of the current study is to empirically gauge the efficacy of integrating these reference skills within a conventional Enhancement Course. A dictionary pre-test was administered to two homogeneous groups attending a Study Skills Course at The University of Khartoum, Sudan. The performance was measured against a slightly modified version of the test following a tailor-made structured module presented to the experimental group. The results of both groups in the pre-test were unsatisfactory and generally congruent with the findings of the original study. Yet, statistically significant differences were registered in the performance of the experimental group regarding overall and individual entry components. In view of the importance and increasing sophistication of monolingual dictionaries, this study is yet one more proof of the pedagogical usefulness of equipping students with dictionary training as part of their syllabuses. Thus, entry composites such as definitions, phonetic and grammatical information, and diatonic and diaphasic labels shall constitute an integral part of teaching strategies in the phonology, syntax, semantic, and sociolinguistic domains.
English Language Teaching, 2022
Second language learning requires conscious and persistent efforts on the part of the learner, to achieve significant proficiency. Generally, students show complacency towards learning a new language, as a result of frustrating factors such as unfamiliar vocabularies, mixing words with different textual meanings, difficulties in adopting the mechanics of effective writing and others. The dictionary as a learning resource, helps in ameliorating these challenges; serving as a complementary aid for learners, and even teachers in the choice of pedagogic strategies. The methodology adopts a quantitative design in assessing the effectiveness of the use of dictionaries, amongst secondary school teachers and students in Nigeria, using appropriate questionnaires. The result revealed the indispensable role of the dictionary as a learning resource in an ESL environment, and its maximal benefits when students are proactively trained to use it.
EFL Teachers' and Students' Perceptions of Dictionary Use and Preferences
International Journal of Linguistics
The present study provides insights into the perception of EFL teachers (Native and Non-native) and students of dictionary use. Participants were 99 (56 NS and 43 NNS) EFL teachers and 3993 (1815 male and 2178 female) students and were invited to respond to a questionnaires. 40 students participated in a follow-up interview. The results indicate that students overwhelmingly prefer bilingual dictionary to another type of dictionaries. Moreover, the students reported using online dictionaries and Google translator significantly more than print dictionaries. The study also revealed that meaning was reported to be the most lexical information sought by the subjects of the current study. Furthermore, the findings showed that most of the students refer to their dictionaries for word meaning and spelling but pay little attention to other aspects such as pronunciation, illustrated examples, and collocations. The findings revealed that EFL teachers held different perceptions on the role of t...