The use of monolingual English and bilingual Arabic-Engish dictionaries in Kuwait: an experimental investigation into the dictionaries used and reference skills … (original) (raw)
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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.
The role of the introductory matter in bilingual dictionaries of English and Arabic
Lexikos, 2010
Monolingual and bilingual dictionaries for learners of English as foreign language differ from each other in many aspects. Among the differences are the types of information a dictionary provides outside the A-Z word list, especially in its introductory matter. Yet, dictionary introductions have been referred to rather peripherally in the literature on dictionary users and uses. Within the context of lexicographic practice, this study aims to outline the differences between EFL learner's dictionaries and bilingual English-Arabic dictionaries, and to determine to what extent a given set of popular dictionaries provide varied and sufficient information in their introductions. Three categories of dictionaries will be the subject of comparison: EFL dictionaries, European bilingual dictionaries, and bilingual dictionaries in the Arab world.
Arab EFL Learners' Use of Electronic Dictionaries
Modern educational and computer technology has greatly affected the design of electronic dictionaries. Various types and sizes have been produced ranging from hand-held devices to multimedia dictionaries on CD-ROMs. Unfortunately, little literature exists on their efficacy and the way these are used; therefore, there is now a pressing need for uncovering the way EFL learners use these tools. This dictionary user profile, survey questionnaire, was constructed to fulfill this need and unearth the electronic dictionary-using habits of Arab EFL learners and underline the various facts about the names of the electronic dictionaries they owned, the reasons when, where, why and how dictionary users employed these dictionaries and whether there was any particular information they used more often. Endeavour was made to pinpoint any difficulties in using any category of information and reveal participants' look-up habits and attitudes towards dictionaries. Although it is widely believed that electronic references are more useful than hardcopy references, findings from this research showed that electronic and print dictionaries were used similarly. Disappointingly, users were not fully aware of the bulk of information and features offered by dictionaries. More research remains to be carried out to reveal the image of electronic dictionaries among EFL learners and more specifically how real-world electronic look-ups are performed.
International Journal of Language and Linguistics, 2015
This study purports to uncover the overall perceptions and actual dictionary practices among a sample of 160 Sudanese English majors. A questionnaire based on Bejoint’s (1981) classic study, with more recent modifications such as Hartmann (2005), is utilized. Results indicate that students are overwhelmingly aware of the crucial role of dictionaries in language learning. Also, while most of the subjects are convinced of the superiority of advanced paper- based monolingual dictionaries, they almost as frequently refer to the more accessible electronic and bilingualized dictionaries. Yet, on the whole, dictionary use is limited and is almost invariably associated with reading rather than productive language skills. More significantly, in tandem with earlier studies, the subjects of the present study employ the (monolingual) dictionary primarily as a decoding tool to locate definitions, to the almost utter neglect of such vital entry components as pronunciation, collocations and level of usage. Finally, the subjects manifest a marked lack of knowledge, both of ancillary dictionary matter such as appendices and abbreviations and the organization of definitions in the main dictionary entry. It is suggested that such ignorance is largely due to the exclusion of lexicography from university syllabi and teaching practices in Sudanese universities.
THE USAGE OF MONOLINGUAL AND BILINGUAL DICTIONARİES IN THE EFL CONTEXT
III International Scientific Conference of Young Researchers, 2019
It is nearly impossible to imagine the process of learning a new language without the usage of dictionaries. The purpose of the following study is to examine the usage of monolingual and bilingual dictionaries while learning English as a foreign language in Baku, Azerbaijan. The study was conducted among 52 undergraduate English-major students from one of the universities situated in Baku, and the participants were asked to complete a survey consisting of both close and open-ended questions, where they could reflect and explain their ideas on the usage of dictionaries in the EFL context. The study revealed that although most of the students preferred monolingual dictionaries, a number of students find bilingual ones more useful due to several reasons.
Assessing the effectiveness of monolingual, bilingual and 'biligualised' dictionaries
The Modern Language Journal 81/2: 189-196., 1997
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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.
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.
ANALYSIS OF THE IMPACT OF ARABIC-MALAY BILINGUAL DICTIONARIES IN MALAYSIA
The emergence of Arabic language and Islamic religion in the Malay Archipelago which comprises the present day Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei Darussalam, part of the Philippines as well as southern Thailand gave birth to Islamic education through the medium of Arabic language. This was inevitable because of the mutual relationship between Arabic language and Islam. To have better understanding of the Quran as the primary source of Islam is to have mastery of Arabic language. Hence the Muslim scholars in the Malay Archipelago resorted to the writing of Arabic Malay dictionaries which could help in the proper understanding of Arabic texts such as the Quran and Hadith which were primarily in Arabic language. This effort continues from generation to another until modern times which gave rise to the production of different types of Arabic Malay bilingual dictionaries. Some of these dictionaries have contributed to the general education of the Malays for their precision in translation. This study however, is an attempt to examine and analyse the contributions of selected Malay Arabic dictionaries to the Malay world in order to determine their precision in translation from Arabic to Malay language with reference to their methodologies with the aim of suggesting standards by which an ideal and all-encompassing Arabic Malay bilingual dictionary could emerge.