Abstract
This article reports on the results of a study which investigated the use of an online dictionary by Chinese EFL learners in identifying the meanings of verb phrases. Thirty-two students with English as major subject participated in a meaning determination task with and without the help of the Macmillan English Dictionary Online (MEDO). Introspective and retrospective questionnaires were used to establish the participants' perception of the usefulness of the online dictionary, and how they used the online dictionary to search for their needed information. The results of the study show that learners improved in doing the task after consulting the online dictionary, but they also encountered some problems which led to incorrect choices. It is suggested that dictionary skills training should be provided, and improvements to online dictionaries should also be made.
Highlights
IntroductionElectronic dictionaries (EDs) have developed rapidly in the last three decades
Sparked by technological advancements, electronic dictionaries (EDs) have developed rapidly in the last three decades
Over half (6) of the phrases received an accuracy rate ranging from 20% to 30%, and two phrases below 15%
Summary
Electronic dictionaries (EDs) have developed rapidly in the last three decades. Compared with the bulkiness of paper dictionaries and slow retrieval, the increasing popularity of EDs can be attributed to better readability and their ease of use which makes the consultation process less time-consuming. The most innovative aspect of EDs is probably the retrieval system (Nesi 2000a: 839). It encourages exploratory browsing which results in a large number of words looked up. Laufer and Hill (2000: 72) found that 'the number of times the word is looked up during a learning session bears almost no relation to its retention'. There is a 'possibility that the most extracted information may require least thought, and be soonest forgotten' (Nesi 2000a: 844)
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