Abstract:

Effective use of dictionaries should be part of the language learning curriculum. Dictionary skills are relevant while learning languages in formal contexts, they are useful for students, and durable in time since they promote life-long learning linguistic skills. E-dictionary skills are defined as “the abilities required on the part of the dictionary user to find the information being sought.” (Hartmann and James 1998).

These skills should be considered generic skills in the sense that they are achievable, worthwhile and an essential part of the students’ day-to-day foreign language learning progress (Campoy-Cubillo 2015, Lew and Galas 2008). However, the lack of specific e-dictionary skill training may make future teachers less prepared to properly teach those skills to their future students. Self-training in dictionary skills (Milić et al. 2019), though useful, may miss details on what the user does and may therefore make that user a poor transmitter of skills.

This presentation examines the perception of dictionary use in 42 Polish teachers-in-training students and 42 Spanish teacher training students. The subjects in this study participated in a computer-based open-ended questionnaire on the usefulness and suitability of dictionaries in the classroom. Using a qualitative approach, respondents’ answers are analysed to determine:
(1) factors contributing to dictionary choice on the part of the training teachers,
(2) criteria to determine appropriateness and eligibility of e-dictionaries,
(3) ways in which participants plan to use e-dictionaries, and (4) choice differences depending on nationality.

References:
[1] Hartmann, Reinhard R.K., and Gregory James. 1998. Dictionary of lexicography. New York: Routledge.
[2] Campoy-Cubillo, M.C. (2015) “Assessing dictionary skills”. Lexicography ASIALEX 2: 119-141. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40607-015-0019-2
[3] Lew, R., & Galas, K. (2008). “Can dictionary skills be taught? The effectiveness of lexicographic training for primary-school-level Polish learners of English.” In Proceedings of the XIII EURALEX International Congress, ed. Elisenda Bernal Galle, and Janet DeCesaris Ward,1273–1285. Barcelona: Universitat Pompeu Fabra
[4] Milić, M., Sadri, F., & Glušac, T. (2019). “The pedagogical potential of a bilingual specialized dictionary in tertiary education.” EQOL Journal 11 (1):51-58.

Keywords:

E-dictionary, dictionary skills, teacher training, generic skills, foreign language learning (FLL).