Charles Carlos Cuna

FACULITY OF LANGUAGE SCIENCES, COMUNICATION AND ARTS

DEGREE IN TEACHING OF ENGLISH

Study Skills I
1st YEAR MAPAI

Study Skills I Individual essay

Universidade Save

Gaza

2019
 Charles Carlos Cuna

FACULITY OF LANGUAGE SCIENCES, COMUNICATION AND ARTS

DEGREE IN TEACHING OF ENGLISH

Study Skills I
1st YEAR MAPAI

Task to be presented at the faculty of sciences

Of languages communication and arts in the
Subject Of Study Skills to be assessed by tutor:
Obadias Muchanga

Universidade Save

Gaza

2019

Index

Contents Pages

Dictionary Use…………………………………………………………………………….5
Different types of Dictionaries………………………………………………………….....6
Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………7
Bibliography...…………………………………………………………………………......8
Abstract

The present study provides insight into the use of dictionaries. This report identifies dictionary
use. The results indicates that the use of dictionary or to consult a dictionary most often to find
out the pronunciation of a new word and least often to learn the frequency of use and appropriate
usage of an unknown word. The learners most of times, they find a word while reading or when
someone is speaking and it brings doubts; the word’s meaning from the paragraph’s main ideas
and background information is crucial. Using the meaning of individual parts of an unfamiliar
compound word (such as note-book) and the part of speech of a new word were the least-used.

Keywords: ESL advanced English-language learners, vocabulary learning strategies, dictionary

use.

Introduction

Schmitt (2000) suggests that language learners need a vocabulary size of 2,000 word families to
maintain a conversation, and at least 10,000 word families for reading comprehension of
academic texts so The purpose of this article is to examine the importance of using dictionary in
language learning / teaching process and make some suggestions for language teachers as well as
language students. ·
A dictionary is a reference book containing the words of a language usually alphabetically
arranged, with information on their forms, pronunciations, functions, meanings, etymologies,
spellings and idiomatic uses. Most of this information cannot be found in other reference books.
it is important to consider several advantages in the use of dictionaries. In the very early stages of
learning, even an inadequate bilingual dictionary can provide an important support and be a
quick reference book. In language learning/teaching process the importance of using dictionaries
cannot be denied. It is obvious that the dictionary can be an extremely useful learning resource,
especially as it makes the learner more independent of the teacher.
If the students learn how to use a dictionary effectively, then the dictionary can be a very helpful
resource for their studies. Training in the proper use of a dictionary will be of help in selecting
the meaning that is appropriate to a given context. The most important basic skill in using a
dictionary is to fınd a word.

Dictionary use

Learners can use several strategies, such as using a dictionary, receiving help from the teacher or
peer, or parsing the meaning of a word from its context, to facilitate the learning of new words
(Harley & Hart, 2000; Qian, 2004).
 Schmitt (2000) suggests that vocabulary learning strategies are a means of enhancing
vocabulary learning. Poorer language learners benefit from the vocabulary learning strategies of
advanced language learners to improve their success record. Thus, the current investigation
attempted to provide insight into this issue by providing a better understanding of advanced
English language learners’ strategies pertaining to dictionary use and contextual guessing.
As mentioned, language learners need to acquire considerable vocabulary to succeed in English-
language learning. This makes it impossible for learners to acquire all the necessary vocabulary
explicitly; therefore, incidental vocabulary learning is required. When language learners
encounter unknown words in reading, they can look up or infer their meaning. Two common
strategies were widely used to unlock the meaning of unknown words: dictionary use and
contextual guessing. Looking up the meaning of unknown words increases in-depth
comprehension of a particular text and the precision of the words in a given context. Inferential
guessing is essential in second-language learning.
A single word may have several possible meanings, and the appropriate one can often be
determined based on context. Laufer (1990) believes that a word in a sentence could look
familiar to language learners; however; they may find that this meaning in the given sentence
makes no sense. In addition, guesses of the meaning of an unknown word are rarely accurate.
Kaivanpanah and Alavi’s (2008) study confirms that learners’ inferences about the meaning of
unfamiliar vocabulary are not always reliable. Thus, advocates of dictionary use suggest that
teachers should encourage learners to use a dictionary to find the particular meaning of an
unfamiliar word in a given context. Dictionaries are the essential source for information about
words in a language (Walz, 1990). Hayati and Fattahzadh (2006) also recommend that learners
consult a dictionary for the meaning of an unfamiliar word to make certain that their assumptions
are accurate based on the contextual information. Access to a dictionary helps learners become
more autonomous because they can find appropriate interpretations of unfamiliar words in
sentences without depending on teachers’ explanations (Gu 2003; Miyanaga, 2006).
Some students may not be aware of the efficient ways of using a dictionary. In general, they
only take the entry as the final option and do not explore other possibilities of meaning or they
do not usually think of looking up a familiar word like "bring", "call " or ''get". But the meanings
of these words may change depending on the usage of them in different contexts and may create
difficulty for language students. Haphazardness of students while using dictionaries for their
specific lexical needs may sometimes bring about defıcient or erroneous interpretations for the
students are inclined to adopt the fırst meaning they happen to come across without _bothering
themselves for the rest. Thus, when we introduce techniques for using dictionaries, we should
teach students to look up a word that seems familiar, when it appears in a sentence that is
difficult to understand. For instance, the word "chair" is known by language students who have
learned to name furniture: but for some, the word will cause difficulty in sentences like "He was
appointed to the Cllr of maths at the university" or "He will chair the meeting". It is possible that
the word "chair" in the students' language knowledge would not have these meanings. Students
usually assume that they already know the meaning of an ordinary word, so they do not try to
fınd another meaning for it. Therefore, the ability to use a dictionary should not be taken for
granted in language classes.
Another important factor to consider is the students' unawareness of the information that a
dictionary contains. A dictionary generally contains at least the following information about each
word which can be used by the foreign language learners.
1. Its spelling
2. The standard pronunciation
3. Definitions to represent the word1s one or more meanings
4. Parts of speech, such as noun, verb or preposition
5. Example sentence in which the word used
6. Synonym
7. Antonym
Other information may be included, such as the etymology or history of the word and whether
the word is "non-standard" or "absolute". The history of a word is usually given at the beginning
of the entry and often gives information about the way the word has developed its current
meaning. Placing a word's etymology before its definitions enables the reader to see where the
fırst meaning of the word comes from. Many people, however, want to know what the most
common current meaning of a word is, and they expect to find that meaning given first In
recognition of this fact, some dictionaries now place the etymology at the end of each entry, after
the definitions. A dictionary may be more than a reference book about a word; it can contain
biographical and geographical knowledge as well as lists of weights, measures, symbols and so
on. Bilingual and monolingual dictionaries are the most used dictionaries by the foreign language
learners. Students generally like to use bilingual dictionaries because they bring instant
satisfaction, while teachers prefer monolinguals for their long term benefits. It is diffıcult to
answer the question "which dictionary serves the learner best? Bilingual dictionaries are
generally employed in the initial stages of learning a language and may help the learner solve
their terminological problems unless the unfamiliar word has numerous entries. Many bilingual
dictionaries give only single word translations, as a result of which learners are bound to make
mistakes. Koç and Bamber (1997:64) state that as the meaning of a word tends to change
according to the context in which it is used, the chances of getting the wrong meaning with this
type of dictionary are fairly high." For instance, supposing the student has to look up the Turkish
adjective "verimli" in a Turkish -English bilingual dictionary he will be very likely to fınd these
entries "productive", "profıtable" etc. But these entries are not appropriate when it is intended to
mean "prolifıc" (for the author) or "fertile" (for the soil) in a piece of text. Therefore, students
should be aware of the disadvantages of using bilingual dictionaries. We cannot prevent our
learners from using bilingual dictionaries but we can advise them to use bilingual dictionaries
wisely. On the other hand, while using a monolingual dictionary users have to think in English
and meanings have to be understood in terms of other English words. There is now a choice of
good monolingual dictionaries available at various levels of difficulty and specially written for
the foreign language learner.
Underhill (in Ilsen, 1985: 104) points out the following advantages of using the monolingual
dictionaries.
1. Users have to think in English.
2. Meanings have to be understood in terms of other English words, promoting a more rapid
expansion of passive vocabulary.
3. Many high-frequency function words which are virtually inaccessible via bilingual dictionary
may be given appropriate treatment.
4. Learners may gain insights into the precision of defining and describing meanings, and
constructing example sentences, as well as learning to cope with defınitions which at fırst seem
unclear.
5. The example sentences themselves not only exemplify typical usage but also provide an
access to the meaning.
6. The ability to use the MLD effectively allows students the satisfaction of exploration through
the dictionary, a sense of self-sufficiency and greater confidence in their ability to solve language
problems for themselves. This in turn helps students to recognize and formulate their own
language problems and questions in the first instance.
As Underhill points out above there are many advantages of using monolingual dictionaries in
language learning. In addition to monolingual dictionaries, students can also make use of other
dictionaries such as "The Dictionary of Idioms, The Dictionary of Collocations, The Dictionary
of Synonyms and Antonyms" and the like. Students should be aware of the fact that dictionaries
vary with respect to the number of words· they include and the amount of information they
provide for each lexical item. The shorter the dictionary entry for the word is, the less
trustworthy it will be. For example, Qian’s (2004) study found that the majority of students with
intermediate language proficiency consulted a bilingual dictionary when confronted with
unfamiliar words. Wei’s (2007) study also showed that the use of an English-Chinese dictionary
was more favoured than that of English-English dictionaries by Chinese college students. Even
though many prefer bilingual dictionary use, some researchers (Baxter, 1980; Nation, 2001)
point out that this type of dictionary has several drawbacks. A bilingual dictionary tends to lead
students to depend on a one-to-one correspondence of words between the meaning of an
unknown word in the second language and translation in their first language (Baxter, 1980;
Nation, 2001). Baxter’s (1980) study showed that Japanese learners rely greatly on bilingual
dictionaries, which may discourage them from using communication strategies in oral activities.
Unlike monolingual dictionaries that supply conversational definitions, bilingual dictionaries
tend to provide a single lexical item for meaning.

Conclusion

Just to conclude, it can be said that the benefıts of dictionaries to language learners should not be
ignored in language classes. Unfortunately, in most classrooms, very little time is provided for
dictionary use. But it is an undeniable fact that a learner who makes good use of a dictionary will
be able to continue learning outside the classroom and this will give him considerable autonomy
about the decisions he makes about his own learning. In a teaching / learning situation, therefore,
dictionary training should be an integral part of any syllabus

References

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http://dx.doi.org/10.3200/JOER.98.4.245-256
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1540-4781.00187