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International Journal of Lexicography 1999 12(2):107-146; doi:10.1093/ijl/12.2.107
© 1999 by Oxford University Press
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A STUDY OF DICTIONARY USE BY ESL STUDENTS IN AN AMERICAN UNIVERSITY

Don R. McCreary and Fredric T. Dolezal

Department of English, The University of Georgia (Athens, GA 30602 U.S.A.)

A study was conducted in order to determine the usefulness of an American college desk dictionary (a monolingual English dictionary for native-speakers) used by English as a Second Language (ESL) students when taking a vocabulary test. Seventy-four advanced ESL learners were selected from sections of an English composition course for international students. The students were divided into three experimental groups. Group 1 selected equivalents for a test item on a multiple-choice test by using only the monolingual English dictionary. Group 2 read a short story that included the tested vocabulary; after reading the story, Group 2 took the same multiple-choice test without the aid of any dictionary. Group 3 read the short story with the tested vocabulary and used the monolingual English dictionary while taking the same multiple-choice test. A statistically significant difference in the test scores was found between Group 3 and the other two groups, indicating that dictionary use that supplements the use of contextual cues is beneficial. No statistical difference was found between Groups 1 and 2, indicating that dictionary use without a supporting discursive context provides no measurable advantage over inferring or guessing the meaning of a word within a written discourse.


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