DINAMIKA ILMU - Vol. 21 No. 1 - 2021 - Exploring Saudi College Students' Attitudes toward Using English Dictionaries at Albaha University

Oct 15, 2026

This paper examines Saudi students’ attitudes toward using English dictionaries at Albaha University. The study involves 64 English majors from the College of Science and Arts in Almandaq and applies a descriptive quantitative design with a 24-item questionnaire. Data are analyzed using SPSS. Results show most participants use bilingual dictionaries, fewer use monolingual dictionaries, and students lack awareness of dictionary entries. Many students still value dictionaries for language learning, recommending lexicography activities and monolingual-dictionary training in course programs and classes.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages13

Reading Time33 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Dictionary as a learning resource

Study aims and research questions

Literature Review

Development of research on dictionary use

Previous studies

DINAMIKA ILMU Vol. 21 No. 1, 2021 P-ISSN: 1411-3031; E-ISSN: 2442-9651 doi: [http://doi.org/10.21093/di.v21i1.3179](http://doi.org/10.21093/di.v21i1.3179) Exploring Saudi College Students' Attitudes toward Using English Dictionaries at Albaha University Elsadig Mohamed Khalifa Albaha University, Albaha, Saudi Arabia [e-mail: Sadig_99@yahoo.com](e-mail: Sadig_99@yahoo.com) Abstract The present paper addresses the attitudes of Saudi students toward using English dictionaries at Albaha University. A sample of 64 English majors in the College of Science and Arts in Almandaq took part in this study. A descriptive quantitative approach was implemented in this study. A 24-item questionnaire was applied in this study to collect the data. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS. Findings revealed that while most of the participants used bilingual dictionaries, few of them used monolingual dictionaries. Also, the findings showed that there was a lack of awareness among the students in using dictionary entries. Furthermore, a majority of students believe in the importance of using dictionaries for language learning. Integrating lexicography in the English course program is the main recommended implication to be taught. Teachers should implement activities related to dictionary skills in their English classes, such as using dictionary entries, including pronunciation, collocation, parts of speech, abbreviations, etc. Finally, students should be trained to use monolingual dictionaries in their language learning. These implications can be used to overcome the students’ difficulties in using dictionaries. Keywords: bilingual, dictionary, electronic, entries, monolingual A. Introduction Since the mid-20th century, using English language dictionaries has been crucial for language learning and vocabulary building. Sue Atkins et al. (1987) was the first who ran a study aimed at revealing English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ use of bilingual and Dinamika Ilmu, Volume 21(1), 2021 151 Elsadig Mohamed Khalifa monolingual dictionaries. Besides, Hartmann, R. (1989) was the first scholar who wrote a research paper about dictionary users in which he presented a good summary in the state of arts concerning the use of dictionaries. He also puts forward a research hypothesis to enhance the research approaches. A dictionary is a reference book that includes most of the words in a particular language, usually arranged alphabetically, including information about a word’s form, pronunciation, function, meaning, etymology, spelling, and idiomatic uses (Ece Sarigul, 2016). The use of dictionaries is crucial in the learning/ teaching process because it is a very useful resource that helps learners to be independent of instructors. It can effectively provide valuable benefits to university students in in language learning (Al Sayed, N. and Gumaa, A. 2015) . In addition, the dictionary contains words and their meanings, spellings, pronunciations, synonyms, antonyms, classes (parts of speech), collocations, etc. However, EFL students in the Faculty of Science and Arts, in Almandaq are unaware of the information contained in dictionaries when they use them. They only seek for the meanings of words. One of the most important aims of students isto become independent, self-sufficient learners who can stay learning and developing their skills during their study. As a result, this study aims at helping students to learn independently by using some resources as a dictionary. So, a dictionary enhances a student to develop good learning habits for his career (Courtney, E. 2016) . Recently, EFL lexicography has improved greatly and is now a prosperous field of EFL/SLA. It focused on the nature of the lexicon and vocabulary learning regularly related to dictionaries (e.g. Lewis, 1997; Nation, 2001; Schmitt, 2007) . Also, the area has a relation to the study and analysis of corpus linguistics as well. English lexicography is the proce

FAQs

How many students participated in the study and what was their background?

The study included 64 English majors from the College of Science and Arts in Almandaq at Albaha University.

Which dictionary types did students most and least frequently use?

Most participants used bilingual dictionaries, while few used monolingual dictionaries.

What key recommendation does the study make to improve dictionary use?

Integrate lexicography into the English course program and train students to use dictionary entries and monolingual dictionaries through targeted classroom activities.

Oct 15, 2026

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