The Role of Dictionary Strategy in Passive Vocabulary Knowledge Acquisition of Net Generation Students

Ahmad Azman Mokhtar,Mohd Sofian Omar Fauzee,Rafizah Mohd Rawian

doi:10.5296/jsel.v1i1.4444

Abstract

The paper reports and discusses the findings of a study conducted to assess the role of dictionary strategy in passive vocabulary knowledge acquisition of the Net Generation students. The Net Generation students are students who consider computers a natural part of their environment. Passive vocabulary knowledge is usually defined as what one needs to know about a word in order to use it in reading and listening. The dictionary strategy is made up of three sub-strategies namely using the strategy for comprehension, the extended dictionary strategy, and the looking-up strategy. Vocabulary Learning Questionnaire is used to measure the preference level of the dictionary strategy as one of the vocabulary learning strategies. Simultaneously, the Net Generation students’ passive vocabulary knowledge is assessed using the Vocabulary Levels Test. 360 university students aged between 18 to 21 years old are involved. Though generally the dictionary strategy is preferred by the students as one of their vocabulary learning strategies, it has a negative correlation with the passive vocabulary knowledge. Out of the three sub-strategies, using dictionary strategy for comprehension and extended dictionary strategy establish negative correlations with the passive vocabulary knowledge. Nevertheless, the looking-up strategy has a positive correlation. Further discussion focuses on the possible reasons why guessing strategy does not work for them.

Highlights

Vocabulary knowledge is the most important component in learning second language (L2) (Laufer, 1997)
The paper reports and discusses the findings of a study conducted to assess the role of dictionary strategy in passive vocabulary knowledge acquisition of the Net Generation students
The dictionary strategy is made up of three sub-strategies namely using the strategy for comprehension, the extended dictionary strategy, and the looking-up strategy

Summary

Introduction

Vocabulary knowledge is the most important component in learning second language (L2) (Laufer, 1997). When L2 students come across a word they are not familiar with, a dictionary helps them by defining the word and giving them examples of its use in a sentence. While they are looking up the word, they have an opportunity to learn a number of related words. By the time they were 16 to 18 years old, all of today’s current college students had begun using computers and the internet was common (Jones, 2002) This generation has seen video games become increasingly engaging and “real”; these students grew up on Nintendo, likely used the Xbox 360 system, and probably have a Wifi system in their dormitories. These students have the technical savvy to negotiate virtual environments with ease, making virtual simulations practical for educational purposes

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