Use of Dictionaries and Online Tools for Reading by Thai EFL Learners in a Naturalistic Setting

Boonmoh, Atipat

doi:10.5788/31-1-1645

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…In terms of vocabulary, Alhaisoni (2020) reported that Saudi students do not necessarily retain the words they look up in English-to-Arabic dictionaries, both because (a) they do not spend enough time on entries and read all the meanings, and (b) using English-to-English dictionaries is a better way of acquiring new vocabulary. Boonmoh (2021) reached similar conclusions in a study of Thai learners of English, in which students were observed to use dictionaries in an instrumentalist and superficial way, that is, as a rapid means of completing a given academic task, such as a writing task, rather than as part of a more holistic process of language learning. Students often believe that such usage of the dictionary is useful, but teachers disagree, finding that interactive feedback and other methods are better than dictionary usage for skill acquisition (Liu & Wu, 2019).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 60%

“…EFL literature has a number of focuses when it comes to discussing dictionary use. One positive interpretation is that dictionaries help students acquire new vocabulary, improve spelling, and develop their writing quality (Abbasi et al, 2019;Alhaisoni, 2020;Boonmoh, 2021;El-Sawy, 2019;Pyo, 2020;Zhang et al, 2021). This interpretation is generally positive in its assessment of how dictionaries are useful to EFL students.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Investigating EFL Students’ and Instructors’ Perceptions of Dictionary Usage in Writing Assessment

Al-Harbi

2024

ELT

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In this mixed-methods study we investigated the attitudes of 32 students and 34 teachers from a Saudi Arabian university toward dictionary use in writing assessments in EFL settings. We aimed to discern their views on the role of dictionaries in writing assessments and overall language proficiency. We asked both students and instructors to answer a 4-point Likert-style questionnaire to investigate their perceptions about using dictionaries in writing assessments. We interviewed participants later for further investigation. After analyzing the data both quantitatively and qualitatively, we found that students generally perceived dictionary use as being beneficial by enhancing vocabulary acquisition, improving writing performance and accuracy, and fostering positive attitudes toward writing without significantly affecting comprehension or focus on content. In contrast, teachers were skeptical, doubting dictionaries’ contribution to vocabulary development, writing quality, and accuracy. They also raised concerns about dictionaries’ not promoting positive writing attitudes or independent learning and potentially slowing down the writing process due to ineffective usage. Our study highlights a notable discrepancy between students’ positive perceptions and teachers’ reservations about dictionary use in language assessments. It suggests a need for further research to understand dictionaries’ impact on language learning and assessment outcomes, acknowledging the limitations of the study and the need for broader exploration in diverse educational contexts to resolve these differing views.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 60%