Cognitive aspects of problem solving using dictionaries in L2 writing (original) (raw)
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This article reports on the use of dictionaries for L2 text production purposes by first-year ESP students. Research into dictionary use and cognitive studies of L2 writing are combined in this paper to outline the cognitive dimension of a dictionary consultation. Our objective is to focus on the situation in which an information need occurs, with a freshman ESP student as a specific user in mind. In an attempt to guarantee the relevance of consulting a dictionary, for the purposes of our study we separated the draft stage of a composition from that of its revision. In the latter stage, external resources like dictionaries were made available. Our data suggest that our students were able to detect problems in their writing and reported having improved their compositions after having had the chance to consult dictionaries. The corrections were nonetheless implemented only in one-third of all the problems detected. It was also found that the tentative solution in L2 allowed for monolingual dictionary consultation but students often opted for generating another access key in their native language.
The Dictionary as a Tool for Teaching L2 Writing in Secondary Schools
TJPRC, 2014
The study explored the use of the dictionary in teaching L2 writing to improve quality as measured by the incidence of errors. The research design was a simple pre-/post-test experimental design without a control group. A sample of 50 students randomly selected were pre-tested and treated for 12 weeks in the use of the dictionary for writing. Fourteen writing activities in letter, essay, and speech writing were used for the study. At the end of the treatment, the students were post-tested by replicating the pre-test. The result showed that the incidence of errors in the post-test dropped by 83 per cent demonstrating that the use of the dictionary in L2 writing improves quality in writing as measured by the incidence of grammatical errors.
Dictionaries Can Help Writing--If Students Know How To Use Them
1989
A study investigated whether instruction in how to use a dictionary led to improved second language performance and greater dictionary use among English majors (N=54) in a reading and writing course at a Thai university. One of three participating classes was instructed in the use of a monolingual learner's dictionary. A passage correction test administered before and after the instruction was used to assess instructional effectiveness. The amount and type of dictionary use on the course's final exam measured whetlier the instruction led to greater use of monolingual dictionaries. Results showed significant improvement on the passage correction test for the class receiving instruction in dictionary use, but none for the other classes. Also, the same class used monolingual dictionaries much more on the final exam. (MSE)
Advances in Language and Literary Studies, 2014
This study aimed at investigating the relationship between types of dictionaries used and lexical proficiency in writing. Eighty TOEFL students took part in responding to two Questionnaires collecting information about their dictionary type preferences and habits of dictionary use, along with an interview for further in-depth responses. They were also asked to write a composition to be evaluated on their lexical proficiency. According to the results, the most frequently used dictionary type was Bilingual (E-P) Desk Dictionary (BDD) and the least favored dictionaries were Bilingual (P-E) Desk Dictionary (BDD2) and Bilingual (P-E) Mobile Dictionary (BMD). Referring to dictionaries in search of meaning during reading-writing, and after speaking-listening were the most common habits of students. Additionally, a significant relationship between the type of dictionary and lexical proficiency in participant's writing was found. There was also a correlation between skill in dictionary use and lexical proficiency in writing. These finding entail some pedagogical benefits to enhance learners' lexical competence by modifying the type of learners' preferred dictionary and their habits in dictionary use.
Concordancers and dictionaries as problem-solving tools for ESL academic writing
The present study investigated how 6 Korean ESL graduate students in Canada used a suite of freely available reference resources, consisting of Web-based corpus tools, Google search engines, and dictionaries, for solving linguistic problems while completing an authentic academic writing assignment in English. Using a mixed methods design, the study examined the processes and outcomes of combined use of concordancers and other reference resources by the participants and their perceptions of the reference suite as a means of writing assistance. Results showed that while the reference suite served as an effective cognitive tool extending the cognitive powers of the participants in solving lexical and grammatical problems, the individual resources in the suite were each shown to have unique functions for which they were best suited, suggesting that concordancing may optimally be consulted in combination with other resources. However, some participants also experienced difficulties in using the tool stemming largely from the nature of their writing tasks and writing stages, and different goals and needs arising from them. This paper concludes by discussing theoretical and pedagogical implications of the findings.
A Study of Dictionary Use by ESL Students in an American University
International Journal of Lexicography, 1999
A study was conducted in order to determine the usefulness of an American college desk dictionary (a monolingual English dictionary for native-speakers) used by English as a Second Language (ESL) students when taking a vocabulary test. Seventy-four advanced ESL learners were selected from sections of an English composition course for international students. The students were divided into three experimental groups. Group 1 selected equivalents for a test item on a multiple-choice test by using only the monolingual English dictionary. Group 2 read a short story that included the tested vocabulary; after reading the story, Group 2 took the same multiple-choice test without the aid of any dictionary. Group 3 read the short story with the tested vocabulary and used the monolingual English dictionary while taking the same multiple-choice test. A statistically significant difference in the test scores was found between Group 3 and the other two groups, indicating that dictionary use that supplements the use of contextual cues is beneficial. No statistical difference was found between Groups 1 and 2, indicating that dictionary use without a supporting discursive context provides no measurable advantage over inferring or guessing the meaning of a word within a written discourse.
ESP students’ views on online language resources for L2 text production purposes
Teaching English with Technology, 2013
The use of online language resources for L2 text production purposes is a recent phenomenon and has not yet been studied in depth. Increasing availability of new online resources seems to be changing the very nature of L2 text production. The traditional dictionary, hitherto a default resource to help with language doubts, is being left behind while online resources are taking the lead. What are these resources? Do students need a specific training on how to use them? At what moment of L2 text production do students wish to resort to resources? Rather than analysing the usefulness of a specific kind of resource, this paper focuses on the students’ perceived needs. In particular, we would like to see to what extent our students are open to using language resources, if they are willing to master their use and, finally, if they use resources properly, which is with cognitive implication behind.
Language Learning Technology, 2014
Studies Studies on students' use of corpora in L2 writing have demonstrated the benefits of corpora not only as a linguistic resource to improve their writing abilities but also as a cognitive tool to develop their learning skills and strategies. Most of the corpus studies, however, adopted either direct use or indirect use of corpora by students, without comparing the effectiveness between the two applications. This case study seeks to develop new lines of inquiry by comparing the effectiveness and learning strategy use in corpus-based writing revision. Four Korean EFL students used introspective and retrospective research instruments in an investigation of the effects of corpus use on error correction, error correction patterns, and learning strategy use between the two approaches. While we caution about drawing a conclusion from this small case study, the needs-based approach to corpus use in L2 writing was found to be effective for restructuring the learners' errant knowledge about language use. The approach drove students to actively adopt cognitive learning strategies by performing as "language detectives." Different effectiveness and learning strategy uses were also observed relative to the corpus use contexts as well as according to student proficiency levels. We also found pedagogical implications, which will be discussed, in relation to the two different corpus applications.