Advances in Language and Literary Studies - Vol. 5 No. 6 - December 2014 - A Study of the Relationship between Type of Dictionary Used and Lexical Proficiency in Writings of Iranian EFL Students

Oct 15, 2026

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This study investigated the relationship between dictionary types used and lexical proficiency in writing among Iranian EFL students. Eighty TOEFL students completed two questionnaires on dictionary preferences and habits, followed by interviews for deeper responses, and then wrote a composition assessed for lexical proficiency. Findings indicated the most used option was Bilingual (E-P) Desk Dictionary (BDD), while the least favored were Bilingual (P-E) Desk Dictionary (BDD2) and Bilingual (P-E) Mobile Dictionary (BMD). Dictionary consultation habits correlated with proficiency.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages8

Reading Time20 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Review of Literature

Advances in Language and Literary Studies ISSN: 2203-4714 Vol. 5 No. 6; December 2014 Copyright © Australian International Academic Centre, Australia A Study of the Relationship between Type of Dictionary Used and Lexical Proficiency in Writings of Iranian EFL Students Fereidoon Vahdany (Corresponding Author) Department of English, Payame-Noor University PO Box 19395-3697 Tehran, Iran E-mail: [frvahdany@gmail.com](frvahdany@gmail.com) Milad Abdollahzadeh MA in English (Linguistics), Pune University, India [E-mail: miladabdz@gmail.com](E-mail: miladabdz@gmail.com) Shokoufeh Gholami Department of English, Payame-Noor University PO Box 19395-3697 Tehran, Iran Mahmood Ghanipoor Department of English, Payame-Noor University PO Box 19395-3697 Tehran, Iran Doi:10.7575/aiac.alls.v.5n.6p.31 URL: [http://dx.doi.org/10.7575/aiac.alls.v.5n.6p.31](http://dx.doi.org/10.7575/aiac.alls.v.5n.6p.31) Received: 01/08/2014 Accepted: 25/09/2014 Abstract This study aimed at investigating the relationship between types of dictionaries used and lexical proficiency in writing. Eighty TOEFL students took part in responding to two Questionnaires collecting information about their dictionary type preferences and habits of dictionary use, along with an interview for further in-depth responses. They were also asked to write a composition to be evaluated on their lexical proficiency. According to the results, the most frequently used dictionary type was Bilingual (E-P) Desk Dictionary (BDD) and the least favored dictionaries were Bilingual (P-E) Desk Dictionary (BDD2) and Bilingual (P-E) Mobile Dictionary (BMD) . Referring to dictionaries in search of meaning during reading-writing, and after speaking-listening were the most common habits of students. Additionally, a significant relationship between the type of dictionary and lexical proficiency in participant ’s writing was found. There was also a correlation between skill in dictionary use and lexical proficiency in writing. These finding entail some pedagogical benefits to enhance learners ’ lexical competence by modifying the type of learners’ preferred dictionary and their habits in dictionary use. Keywords: Monolingual, Bilingual, Dictionary, Lexical Proficiency, L2, Writing 1. Introduction Today, a good command of English as an international language is essential for better functioning in both career and life. Although learners are increasingly attending English classes to fulfill this dream, English teachers are mostly unavailable outside these classes. Therefore, learners need to find a reliable source to refer to when they encounter a variety of problems related to learning English as a second language. Several studies (Walz, 1990; Ryu, 2006; Cubillo, 2002) have demonstrated that dictionaries as a reliable source that provides learners with useful linguistic and cultural information, especially in out of class settings when learners are responsible for their own learning. The role of dictionaries in language learning is evident since the first thing a foreign language learner usually purchases is a dictionary (Baxter, 1980) . Huang (2003) considered dictionaries as useful, fairly common and even necessary tools in language acquisition by EFL learners. It is as an essential source, if not the main source, of information on language for all literate persons who have questions on form, meaning, and/or use of a word(s) in their L1 or in another language (Kirkness, 2004, p. 54-81) . It seems that the conviction of the usefulness of dictionaries is common among lexicographers, and also language learners themselves. However, as far as language teachers are concerned, various perspectives have been observed on the issue. Some believe that dictionaries are lexically beneficial, while others are concerned that the consultation process is distracting and might upset the learning process (Hosenfeld, 1977) . On the other hand, lexical aspect is an area of pote

FAQs

How many students participated, and what data were collected?

Eighty TOEFL students completed two questionnaires and an interview, and they also wrote a composition evaluated for lexical proficiency.

Which dictionary type was most frequently used, and which were least favored?

The most frequently used dictionary type was Bilingual (E-P) Desk Dictionary (BDD). The least favored were Bilingual (P-E) Desk Dictionary (BDD2) and Bilingual (P-E) Mobile Dictionary (BMD).

What relationship did the study find between dictionary type and writing proficiency?

A significant relationship was found between the type of dictionary and participants’ lexical proficiency in writing, and a correlation was also observed between skill in dictionary use and lexical proficiency.

Oct 15, 2026

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