Abstract:

Mastering dictionary skills in foreign language teaching is important not only for understanding and interpreting lexical information but also for lifelong language learning. In acquiring language for specific purposes (LSP) it is particularly important as professional terminology requires precision and accuracy.

Many LSP teachers in tertiary education believe that their students have already mastered dictionary skills during their previous education and are digitally literate enough to navigate through quality lexical online resources. However, research shows that students infrequently use dictionaries and lack dictionary skills. Moreover, they are often unable to distinguish between various online lexical tools, to choose appropriate online dictionaries, and to use them proficiently.

On the other hand, as they believe that their students use dictionaries with ease, many LSP teachers do not teach dictionary skills in higher education. This is also because they lack awareness of the importance of dictionary skills in tertiary education and are sometimes unsure whether these skills should be taught at all. Besides, they are often hesitant to spare time to teach dictionary skills due to already overloaded syllabi. Furthermore, during their education, they rarely receive adequate training in the methodology of teaching dictionary skills in the classroom. Finally, course materials for LSP courses in higher education seldom contain dictionary-based activities and exercises. To summarize, dictionary skills are often overlooked in foreign language teaching. However, many authors emphasize the importance of teaching dictionary skills at all levels of language learning. Having the ability to use a dictionary competently is not only beneficial for language acquisition, but it also helps students when searching for relevant information from various resources.

This paper presents the findings of a survey carried out among LSP teachers in Croatian tertiary education. The survey aims to investigate their teaching practices and attitudes towards dictionary usage in academic settings. Specifically, it examines the extent to which teachers encourage their students to use dictionaries in their classes, the purposes for which they use them, and whether they provide training on dictionary skills to their students. Additionally, the survey strives to explore teachers’ views on their students’ dictionary skills and digital literacy when searching relevant online lexical resources. Furthermore, it attempts to determine how familiar teachers are with various types of printed and online dictionaries, and how well they keep pace with innovations in the world of online lexical tools. Finally, our goal is to examine if the teachers have received any training in dictionary use methodology during their formal education, and what resources they use to teach it.

The results of this research could assist LSP teachers in comprehending the significance of using dictionaries and providing training on relevant dictionary skills at the academic level.

Keywords:

Croatian tertiary education, dictionary, dictionary skills, LSP, online dictionary tools, online lexical resources.