Use Of Dictionaries Research Articles

A Study of Electronic Dictionary Use and Attitudes among Iranian Students of Translation during COVID-19 Pandemic

Dictionaries are an integral part of language learning process to fulfill learners’ linguistic and academic needs. Recently, COVID-19 pandemic has had many effects on students’ life and learning styles, forcing them to switch to electronic learning during lockdown restrictions. As a result, electronic and Internet-based dictionaries became more available, altering learners’ attitudes in dealing with various types of dictionaries. This study aims at presenting an overview of Iranian university students’ attitudes, habits, and preferences in dictionary use in light of recent changes in their learning environment. Our goal is to gather data from Iranian students of translation studies through conducting a small-scale survey, adopted from the literature, and a number of semistructured interviews in order to explore their dictionary use and habits, means of obtaining dictionaries, types of dictionaries used for translation purposes, and the instructions they received on using dictionaries. The findings presented that the majority of students prefer electronic dictionaries; however, gender does not have a significant effect on the educational use of dictionaries. This study has some implications that could help authorities to advance electronic-based learning at universities.

The Use of Digital Library for Tourism Promotion Through Tourism Object Transliteration into Katakana and Lontara Letter

This study intends to improve the comprehension and knowledge of local tourists and Japanese foreign tourists in order to promote South Sulawesi's tourism attractions by making the best use of digital dictionaries. this study tries to describe the design concept of an Android-based Katakana and Lontara tourist attraction digital dictionary application. This study employs a qualitative descriptive methodology to describe the style of katakana and lontara letter transliteration of tourism destination names. This study revealed that there are several steps taken in transliterating the names of tourist objects. This study suggested that this application can serve as a guide for foreign tourists not only online, but also offline in order to reduce quota/network usage.

English as a Foreign Language University (EFL) Students’ Perception of Dictionary Use and Training

This article examines students’ perceptions of dictionary use and training in English as a Foreign Language (EFL). The needs of English as a foreign language students in terms of specific dictionary types have received little attention. This research was conducted with 48 English as a foreign language students at a public university in Costa Rica over a year. The researcher used a survey (Appendix 1) to collect students’ opinions about the role of the dictionary in their major. Data indicates that: 1) not all dictionary types are known and used by students, 2) students favor the electronic dictionary over the paper dictionary, and 3) dictionary instruction is weak despite its perceived importance by learners. These conclusions are consistent with the literature surveyed. Furthermore, students’ opinions suggest that dictionary instruction and exposure have not been adequately approached in the language educational program. These results should advance new educational policies that promote the systematic and progressive inclusion of dictionary instruction across the study plan.

Ukrainian EFL Learners’ Use and Views of Electronic Dictionaries: a Case Study in Higher Education

Dictionary usage is one of the potential English as a foreign language learning strategy. The research paper investigates current tendencies in electronic dictionaries use for EFL learning at Ukrainian universities and the attitudes of Ukrainian students toward them. The scholars attempt to answer the following question: What are Ukrainian EFL learners’ use and views of electronic dictionaries? The current study aims to fill a gap in existing literature regarding Ukrainian EFL learners’ preferences and the use of different electronic dictionaries for language learning. The significance of this research lies in understanding the learners’ preferences and support of the electronic dictionaries will help to find effective teaching practices fostering student-centered approaches. We used a quantitative method to collect research data through online tools (Google forms). It was achieved due to analyzing responses to the survey-based questionnaire of 32 learners of Vinnytsia Institute of Trade and Economics of the State University of Trade and Economics, Ukraine. The findings suggest that students usually use various types of electronic dictionaries because they help them to develop four basic language skills. The participants preferred using electronic dictionaries as effective and motivating aids. We concluded that Ukrainian learners had a positive attitude toward electronic dictionaries implementation as they can improve both the teaching and learning process in educational institutions.

Methodology of improving students' speech through the use of dictionaries

Methodology of improving students' speech through the use of dictionaries

Development of Word Root-Based Digital Dictionary for Shorof Mastery

The goal of this research was to explain how to develop a word root-based digital dictionary for shorof mastery to make it easier for language learners in recognizing word root and meaning in the use of dictionaries as well as to find meaning of each or some vocabularies in the text. The research method used in this study was Research and Development, using the ADDIE model which includes five stages, namely (1) analysis, (2) design, (3) development, (4) implementation, and (5) evaluation. The subjects were college students and students of Al-Khoirot Islamic Boarding School Malang. The data collection techniques were observation, interview, and questionnaire. This development research data analysis technique used two data analysis techniques, namely qualitative descriptive analysis and quantitative descriptive analysis. The qualitative data is in the form of data identification, data grouping, data presentation and explanation, and conclusion. While the quantitative data is a percentage analysis technique in analyzing quantitative data. The results of this development were in the form of a word root-based digital dictionary for shorof mastery that has six displays, which are preface, instructions for use, dictionary, exercises, references, and developers. The assessment by students and college students reached an average score of 94.7% which is valid category. Hence, it can be concluded that this digital dictionary is feasible to use at any time in learning Arabic and students are able to learn independently wherever they are.

A Further Look into the Use of a Dictionary APP in EFL Writing: A Replication Study

The study replicated the experiment by Chen and Liu (2022), investigating the effect of dictionary use on EFL writing. It involved the same research variables as the original study except for adopting a different dictionary. Sixty-two English majors took two writing tests, one without dictionary assistance, the other with access to a mobile phone dictionary application which features a combination of an L1–L2 and an L2–L1 dictionary for bidirectional search. The application can keep a record of users' search inputs and entry clicks. A questionnaire was also conducted to survey the students' evaluation of the dictionary application. Different from the negative results found by the original study, the replication revealed a non-significant effect of dictionary use on writing performance, providing solid evidence that a better dictionary leads to fewer consultation errors, although the improvement in writing scores brought about by dictionary use was only marginal. The study confirmed the original finding about the positive impact of dictionary use on lexical sophistication. It also identified some differences in dictionary lookup patterns between the participants of the replication and the original study in terms of search frequency, preference for language search, preference for search items, and use of source dictionaries. The implications of the study for dictionary making are discussed. Keywords: replication, dictionary use, EFL writing, writing performance, lexical sophistication, lookup patterns

Evaluating the Usefulness of the Learning Tools in Monolingual Online Dictionaries for Learners of English: Gauging the Preferences of Polish Students of English

The aim of the report is twofold. First, the learning tools available in monolingual online dictionaries for learners of English are described. Second, an evaluation of the usefulness of the learning tools in online dictionaries is provided. To meet the aims of the present contribution, a survey was administered on 318 Polish students of English. The respondents, who participated in a lecture devoted to the topic of learning tools in online dictionaries, were instructed to complete a questionnaire. A mixed-question format was adopted. In the first part of the questionnaire, the participants had to rate the usefulness of the features of the Macmillan Dictionary on a semantic differential scale of 1–7. In the second part, there were two open-ended questions. The students were asked to name the most and least useful learning tools of the Macmillan Dictionary and explain their choices. The results suggest that English majors studying at a Polish university accord high priority to consulting online learning tools which give them valuable information on collocations, synonyms and semantically related words. Keywords: lexicography, dictionary use, online dictionary, mono­lingual learners' dictionary, online learning tools, survey

Developing Dictionary Skills through Monolingual and Bilingual English Dictionaries at Tertiary-level Education in Hungary

Among reference works, dictionaries are particularly important in foreign language learning. Dictionaries provide language learners with a wide range of data, however, wading through the mass of data and information can be a daunting task. Mastering dictionary skills should be important in the language learning process; however, in official educational documents in Hungary, there are no clear guidelines on how to develop these skills. By integrating dictionary skills into the curriculum and teaching them explicitly in lessons, teachers could play an important role in bridging the gap between lexicographers and dictionary users. In the present study, we report on our methods of teaching lexicography and dictionary skills to students at a Hungarian university. The authors are speaking from experience, the discussion and accompanying material are based on more than 15 years of teaching practice. To ensure that the training can meet the expanding needs of young students, a longitudinal study was launched in 2020 to examine students' changing habits and needs. The aims of the article are threefold: first, to encourage the teaching of lexicography at university level by providing concrete methods, then to highlight the importance of dictionary skills, and finally, to emphasise the importance of integrating the effective teaching of the use of electronic dictionaries into dictionary didactics. In this context, the article underlines the need to incorporate new evaluation criteria as well as to develop new skills for digital dictionaries, different from those for print dictionaries, into education. Keywords: teaching lexicography, dictionary didactics, reference skills, dictionary skills, dictionary use, university course design, course evaluation, online dictionaries, evaluation of dictionaries

The Future of Metalexicography: Reaching for the Mesosphere

In this research article, a quantified look is taken at the metalexicographic endeavours of the past half century, starting in 1971. It is argued that the year 2021 represents a tipping point, and for that reason, when illustrations are needed in the article, those are preferably taken from the work of Sue Atkins, who passed away in 2021. It analyses the formation of the various continental lexicography associations, as well as their conferences and linked proceedings, and ends with the current and future role of the global lexicographic alliance. In addition, a comparative bibliometric study is undertaken of the four main journals of our field. It is shown that the number of metalexi­cographic studies and the impact these have continued to grow, to the point where dedicated tools and databases are currently needed for the efficient examination and use of the now many thou­sands of conference papers, journal articles, and other publications. A brief section also deals with modern dictionary user research, which is, according to current thinking, subsumed under meta­lexicography. With and from this vast amount of data, the future direction of metalexicography is extrapolated. The undertaken research is thus very much data-driven, and refrains from thought experiments to arrive at that future. Keywords: lexicography, metalexicography, DSNA, Euralex, Australex, Afrilex, Asialex, Americalex-s, Elex, Globalex, conference proceedings, journal articles, Dictionaries: Journal of the DSNA, Lexicographica, Inter­national Journal of Lexicography, Lexikos, Lexicography: Journal of Asialex, bibliometrics, Google Scholar, dictionary use, Elexifinder

Ukrainian EFL Learners’ Use and Views of Electronic Dictionaries: a Case Study in Higher Education

Ukrainian EFL Learners’ Use and Views of Electronic Dictionaries: a Case Study in Higher Education

중국어 사전 사용 교육에 대한 연구— 초급 중국어 학습자를 대상으로

Learners who haven’t received dictionary skill instruction do not fully understand often how to use a dictionary. With the use of online machine translators becoming more prevalent, many do not feel the need to use a dictionary in learning a second language. However, some researchers have argued that a learner’s ability to use a dictionary is not naturally acquired in line with the increase in experience of dictionary use and the improvement in language fluency, but needs to be cultivated through education and training. Therefore, this study examined why Chinese dictionary skill instruction is necessary, as well as the need and the purpose of training. In addition, Chinese dictionary skill instruction is divided into 6 stages: ‘understanding dictionary types and selecting a dictionary; understanding dictionary searching methods; understanding the structure of a dictionary and grasping information; interpreting information by dictionary headings; understanding learning methods with a dictionary; understanding lexicography theory and the compilation process of the dictionary’, which are described in detail, presenting 4 principles of Chinese dictionary skill instruction. Based on this, this study planned and provided Chinese dictionary skill instruction for beginner Chinese learners in Chinese class at the nation’s university and then conducted a survey of the learners. According to the survey, many of the learners did not receive systematic training on how to use a Chinese dictionary, and they did not know how to use the dictionary in detail. In addition, most of the learners answered that the dictionary skill instruction was usefulm, in particular, because they could learn in detail the functions and the various searching methods of the dictionary they did not know. Lastly, a large number of learners answered that dictionary skill instruction was necessary. The results of this study are expected to awaken the need for dictionary skill instruction in Chinese education and help establish a dictionary skill instruction system.

İngilizce Öğretmenleri Tarafından Öğretilen Okuma Stratejileri

The purpose of this study was to identify to what extent Turkish teachers of English teach the given reading comprehension strategies in their classes. Data were collected through a survey instrument which was adapted from the Survey of Reading Strategies (the SORS) created by Mokhtari and Sheorey (2002). Data collected from 48 teachers were analyzed. Results indicate that scanning, guessing the meaning of unknown words, previewing the text, using context clues, and skimming are the five most frequently taught reading strategies, respectively. Furthermore, using graphic organizers, a dictionary use, adjusting reading speed, making notes, and paraphrasing are the least frequently taught reading comprehension strategies.

Temperature Field Reconstruction Method for Acoustic Tomography Based on Multi-Dictionary Learning.

A reconstruction algorithm is proposed, based on multi-dictionary learning (MDL), to improve the reconstruction quality of acoustic tomography for complex temperature fields. Its aim is to improve the under-determination of the inverse problem by the sparse representation of the sound slowness signal (i.e., reciprocal of sound velocity). In the MDL algorithm, the K-SVD dictionary learning algorithm is used to construct corresponding sparse dictionaries for sound slowness signals of different types of temperature fields; the KNN peak-type classifier is employed for the joint use of multiple dictionaries; the orthogonal matching pursuit (OMP) algorithm is used to obtain the sparse representation of sound slowness signal in the sparse domain; then, the temperature distribution is obtained by using the relationship between sound slowness and temperature. Simulation and actual temperature distribution reconstruction experiments show that the MDL algorithm has smaller reconstruction errors and provides more accurate information about the temperature field, compared with the compressed sensing and improved orthogonal matching pursuit (CS-IMOMP) algorithm, which is an algorithm based on compressed sensing and improved orthogonal matching pursuit (in the CS-IMOMP, DFT dictionary is used), the least square algorithm (LSA) and the simultaneous iterative reconstruction technique (SIRT).

Mūsdienu latviešu terminogrāfijas nākotne – būt vai nebūt?

The experiences and observations of lexicographers and dictionary publishers are very important for the study of contemporary terminological dictionaries, as they not only reveal practical aspects of publishing terminological dictionaries but also provide insight into the challenges of contemporary lexicography and terminography. Therefore, within the framework of the study, lexicographers and publishing representatives were interviewed – the editor Ieva Jansone (Zinātne Publishing House), the editor-in-chief Inta Kalniņa (Avots Publishing House), the chairman of the Terminology Commission of the Latvian Academy of Sciences and director of State Language Centre, Māris Baltiņš. The aim of the article is not only to highlight the main problems of Latvian terminography today (founded on the knowledge of publishers and editors with several years of experience in the field) and their possible solutions but also to shed light on the further development of the field. The opinions of publishers and terminologists were juxtaposed with the results of an online survey conducted among students regarding the use of dictionaries and their views on current issues in contemporary terminography. The article presents the main challenges of contemporary Latvian terminology and terminography: lack of financial resources; time-consuming work in creating a terminological dictionary; incomplete understanding of the status of the Terminology Commission of the Latvian Academy of Sciences; prevailing method of taking the term directly from a foreign language; development of specialised terminology is not recognised as a scientific work; publication of dictionaries not approved by the Terminology Commission; the future of printed dictionaries and their competitiveness with electronic resources. Lexicographers and publishers confirm that, for the existence and development of Latvian terminography, fundamental changes should be made related to financial funding, the role of the Terminology Commission, and the recognition of terminology development as scientific work. Despite the shortcomings of electronic terminological resources, online accessibility and convenience seem to outweigh dictionary users’ concerns about the reliability and quality of the source. Therefore, the importance of the Latvian National Terminology Portal, established with a status of national importance, to make the latest official terminology easily accessible and usable by everyone is crucial. Although some fundamental current problems in Latvian terminography require significant changes, moving towards a solution will ensure the development of the field, its research, the development of new terminological resources, and public access to the latest specialised terminology.

A Model for Automated Business Writing Assessment

This study is aimed at building an automated model for business writing assessment, based on 14 rubrics that integrate EFL teacher assessment frameworks and identify expected performance against various criteria (including language, task fulfillment, content knowledge, register, format, and cohesion). We developed algorithms for determining the corresponding numerical features using methods and tools for automatic text analysis. The algorithms are based on a syntactic analysis with the use of dictionaries. The model performance was subsequently evaluated on a corpus of 20 teacher-assessed business letters. Heat maps and UMAP results represent comparison between teachers’ and automated score reports. Results showed no significant discrepancies between teachers’ and automated score reports, yet detected bias in teachers’ reports. Findings suggest that the developed model has proved to be an efficient tool for natural language processing with high interpretability of the results, the roadmap for further improvement and a valid and unbiased alternative to teachers’ assessment. The results may lay the groundwork for developing an automatic students’ language profile. Although the model was specifically designed for business letter assessment, it can be easily adapted for assessing other writing tasks, e.g. by replacing dictionaries.

Ms 1467 Of Arabic Script Manuscripts Collection Of The Matenadaran As A New found Example Of The "Collection Of Verse Dictionaries"

The present article touches upon a series of Ottoman Turkish manuscripts from the Mate-nadaran's Arabic script manuscripts collection, an example of a unique collection in Ottoman Turkish manuscripts known as the "Collection of Verse Dictionaries" MS No. 1467, in order to provide the first detailed study. These collections were compiled at the religious-educational institutions called tekke or dergāh, and the medrese. They were compiled as language textbooks, in order to provide easy learning of languages (Arabic, Persian, Ottoman Turkish) through the simultaneous use of several verse dictionaries and to be engaged in the process of learning languages by heart. The unique copy of the Matenadaran’s "Collection of Verse Dictionaries" includes 3 complete copies of bilingual (Arabic-Ottoman Turkish) and trilingual (Arabic-Persian-Ottoman Turkish) verse dictionaries of the 14th-15th, 17th and 19th-century writers: copies of Ferişteoġlu ʽAbdullaṭīf ibn Melek’s (proper name was ʽAbdullaīf ʽİzzeddīn et-Tirevī) "Luġat-i Ferişteoġlū" and Bosnalı Ebū̕ l-Fāżl Muḥammed (Meḥmed) ibn Aḥmed er-Rūmī's "Ṣubha-i Ṣıbyān" Arabic-Ottoman Turkish and also complete copy of Adanalı Ḫōca Meḥmed Ḥayret's (propar name was Meḥmed Behāeddīn Ḥayret) "Tuḥfe-i Zībā" (known with another titles as "Tuḥfe-i Dürrī" or "Tuḥfe-i Ḥayret" or "Tuḥfe-i Se Zebān") Arabic-Persian-Ottoman Turkish verse dictionaries. The article presents in detail the works included in the collection. At the same time, it has touched upon the methodology of writing verse dictionaries in classical Turkish literature, their structural features, the significance and role of dictionaries in Turkish society, religion, literature and education. The purposes of writing verse dictionaries in all cases were to teach languages, to develop and spread literary speech, and to practice in prosody (especially in ʽArūż meter). The comprehensive presentation of the collection is even sufficient for it to become a part of the manuscripts of the four collections, already known in foreign collections as the "Collection of Verse Dictionaries", in order to become a source of new research opportunities for local and foreign specialists.

Technology and strategy use in academic writing

This study investigates the practices of native, native-like and non-native speakers of English in academic writing. The researchers developed and validated a survey with Likert items. The items in the survey were created using the researchers’ personal experience, the literature and an open-ended survey with three items administered to 31 researchers. The resulting survey was validated through cognitive interviewing and piloting with 30 respondents. The survey conducted with 190 participants provided comparative insight into how the three groups differ in their use of technology, strategies and dictionaries along with challenges they faced in academic writing. The results globally indicated that non-native speakers used strategies more frequently than native-like English speakers or native speakers. Similarly, the integration of technology into academic writing process and dictionary use were a favourite activity among the non-native speakers. However, all three groups of researchers experienced similar challenges in academic writing, which globally suggests that language per se is not enough for success in scholarly writing and publishing. 
 Keywords: academic writing, native speakers, non-native speakers, strategies

Penerapan Metode Skimming Melalui Media Digital Glossary Dictionary (DGD) Untuk Meningkatkan Pemahaman Teks Naratif di MTsN 6 Bantul

The purpose of this article is to describe the extent of the application of the skimming method through the Digital Glossary Dictionary (DGD) in increasing the understanding of narrative texts in class IX B MTsN 6 Bantul odd semester of 2022/2023. The method used is Classroom Action Research (CAR). The results showed that the application of the skimming method through the use of the DGD digital dictionary proved a positive change. This is evidenced by the increase in several aspects, namely student activity, knowledge value, and positive responses from students. In the aspect of student activity, pre-cycle to cycle I activities increased by 11%. As for from cycle I to cycle II also experienced an increase of 3.53%. Likewise, the results of research on aspects of knowledge that are measured using multiple choice written tests. The results of cycle tests carried out at the end of the cycle showed an average increase in yield by 9%. The test results from cycle I to cycle II obtained an average value of 64.67 increasing to 80.6 or 11%. Aspects of student achievement in terms of English subject matter of narrative text material in pre-cycle activities and increased to 9 people in cycle I, so if it is percentaged, the increase from pre-cycle to cycle is 50%. This is quite satisfying for the teacher because the children who have achieved the specified minimum score are 76. Significant changes also occur in cycle I to cycle II where the number of students who have completed cycle I activities is 9 students and rises to 23 students. in cycle II so that when percentaged the figure becomes 44%.

Myanmar EFL Learners’ Use of Technology-Mediated Lexical Applications and Vocabulary Learning Strategies: Piloting a Questionnaire

The present study reports the development and piloting process of a questionnaire which explores Myanmar EFL learners’ use of technology-mediated lexical applications and vocabulary learning strategies (VLS) and examines problematic aspects of vocabulary knowledge for the learners. In second language (L2) vocabulary learning, technology-mediated lexical applications are increasingly used by EFL learners, which may affect their L2 vocabulary learning process and their vocabulary development (Ma, 2017a). This quantitative pilot study aims to design a complex questionnaire based on three main constructs; technology-mediated lexical applications, VLS, and problematic aspects of vocabulary knowledge. Altogether 95 BA students from a public university in Myanmar took part in this study. The preliminary results revealed that Myanmar EFL learners engage with open-online resources, e-dictionaries, online videos, online texts and social communication tools, and dictionary use was found to be the most commonly used strategy. Receptive knowledge appeared to be more problematic than productive knowledge in all aspects. It is hoped that the findings will contribute to a better understanding of Myanmar EFL learners’ vocabulary learning habits, which may prove useful in helping EFL teachers to foster the use of technology with the help of effective VLS to order to increase EFL learners’ receptive vocabulary knowledge.