How can ESL students make the best use of learners' dictionaries?

English Today ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 33-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alice Y.W. Chan
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Learning Tools ◽  
Esl Students ◽  
Lifelong Learners ◽  
Word Meanings ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
Correct Usage ◽  
Self Learning ◽  
Different Levels

To become lifelong learners is the ultimate goal of many if not most learners irrespective of their target of learning, and being able to self-learn is one major prerequisite of this goal. As far as the learning of a second language is concerned, dictionaries are among the most readily available and easily accessible self-learning tools available on the market, and are regarded as the most systematic and comprehensive lexical descriptions that users have access to (Jackson & Amvela, 2000). An increasing number of dictionaries are now available for learners at different levels and for different learning purposes, including general dictionaries, learners' dictionaries, translation dictionaries, pictorial dictionaries, collocation dictionaries, specialized dictionaries and encyclopaedic dictionaries (Jackson & Amvela, 2000). Of these, learners' dictionaries are among the most popular for second or foreign language learners, providing a range of information including word meanings, pronunciations, collocations, correct usage and syntactic behaviour.

UNDERSTANDING SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNING DIFFICULTIES.Madeline E. Ehrman. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 1996. Pp. xvii + 346. $25.95 paper.

1998 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 434-435
Author(s):  
Anna Uhl Chamot
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Adult Students ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Second Language Learning ◽  
Learning Difficulties ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Esl Students ◽  
Major Focus ◽  
Foreign Language Learners

The purpose of this book is to provide language teachers with insights and tools for understanding some of the reasons why their adult students often encounter less-than-smooth sailing when trying to learn another language. The book explores a variety of case studies that involve real students, thus bringing to life the human dimension of the learning difficulties presented. Although some examples of ESL students are provided, the major focus is on foreign language learners. Ehrman's felicitous writing style ensures that the book reads like an extended and intellectually stimulating conversation with the author.

Comparing Foreign Language Learners’ Use of Online Glossing Programs

2010 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 31-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Paul Loucky ◽  
Frank Tuzi
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Lexical Processing ◽  
Vocabulary Learning ◽  
Learning Tools ◽  
Online Reading ◽  
Relative Level ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
Actual Use

This study furthers research in three crucial related areas: 1) comparing various online glossing and vocabulary learning tools; 2) language teaching and learning using a more natural bilingualized approach to developing online reading skills in a second or foreign language; and 3) comparing the relative level of enjoyment and effectiveness students experience when using various CALL programs. This paper applies recent insights into vocabulary learning behaviors and functions online and investigates whether teachers can help learners increase their use of online glosses to improve their vocabulary learning by giving them automatic mouse-over instant glosses versus optional, clickable, mechanical access. The authors compare Japanese college students’ actual use of three types of glossing when reading similar texts online. The findings suggest that an expanded glossing system that helps encourage deeper lexical processing by providing automatic, archivable glosses would be superior for digital vocabulary learning because it can simultaneously offer better monitoring and more motivation vis-à-vis online word learning.

The Effects of Different Caption Modes on Chinese English Learners' Content and Vocabulary Comprehension

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 54-68
Author(s):  
Hongling Lai ◽  
Dianjian Wang ◽  
Xiancai Ou
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
English Learners ◽  
English Proficiency ◽  
Advanced Learners ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Vocabulary Comprehension ◽  
Chinese English Learners ◽  
Different Levels

This empirical study investigates the effects of different caption modes on the content and vocabulary comprehension by Chinese English learners with different levels of English proficiency. The results show that the full captioned group performed better on content comprehension than the keyword group, while no significant difference was found on vocabulary comprehension between the two captioned groups. For the beginning-level learners, the full captioned groups did better both in content and vocabulary comprehension than the keyword caption group; meanwhile, for the advanced learners, both full captions and keyword captions similarly facilitated content and vocabulary comprehension. Therefore, the present findings suggest that keyword captioning is insufficient for foreign language learners' content comprehension, yet might be appropriate for their vocabulary learning. Furthermore, choosing the content caption mode for teaching EFL depends on students' English proficiency and their learning purpose.

The Effects of Different Caption Modes on Chinese English Learners’ Content and Vocabulary Comprehension

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 0-0
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
English Learners ◽  
English Proficiency ◽  
Advanced Learners ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Vocabulary Comprehension ◽  
Chinese English Learners ◽  
Different Levels

This empirical study investigates the effects of different caption modes on the content and vocabulary comprehension by Chinese English learners with different levels of English proficiency. The results show that the full captioned group performed better on content comprehension than the keyword group, while no significant difference was found on vocabulary comprehension between the two captioned groups. For the beginning-level learners, the full captioned group did better both in content and vocabulary comprehension than the keyword captioned group; meanwhile, for the advanced learners, both full captions and keyword captions similarly facilitated content and vocabulary comprehension. Therefore, the present findings suggest that keyword captioning is insufficient for foreign language learners’ content comprehension, yet might be appropriate for their vocabulary learning. Furthermore, choosing the content caption mode for teaching EFL depends on students’ English proficiency and their learning purpose.

scholarly journals Opinions of Turkish as a Foreign Language Learners on Academic Turkish

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 180 ◽  
Author(s):  
İsa Yılmaz
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
Analysis Technique ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
Turkish Language ◽  
Voluntary Basis ◽  
Different Levels

The purpose of this study is to determine whether the language skills of the international students attending different Turkish language centers are sufficient to understand their departmental courses. The research was carried out through focus group interviews which are among the qualitative data collection techniques. For this purpose, 14 students studying at two different universities at different levels were selected on a voluntary basis. A semi-structured interview form was created with the help of three experts and was used to collect data for the study. The content analysis technique was used. Responses from 14 students were transcribed and analyzed both individually and entirely. It was detected that the level of Turkish taught at the Turkish language centers remained inadequate for the students to understand their departmental courses. The students had difficulties in understanding the concepts, terms, and sample texts related to their field. It is suggested that the students should be introduced with relevant academic concepts before starting their studies. 

Refusal Semantic Formulas Used by Foreign Language Learners

2008 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
pp. 115-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Euen Hyuk Sarah Jung ◽  
Kim, Young Jae
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Foreign Language Learners

Grammatical Competence within L2 Communication: Language Production, Monitor Hypothesis, and Focus on Forms Instruction

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Moh. Rofid Fikroni
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Language Production ◽  
Communicative Competence ◽  
Focus On Form ◽  
Grammatical Competence ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
Speaking Skill ◽  
Focus On Forms ◽  
Learning Language

Bearing in mind that the learners’ speaking skill had become the main goal in learning language, grammatical competence is believed to have a big role within foreign language learners’ language production, especially in spoken form. Moreover, the learners’ grammatical competence is also closely related to the Monitor Hypothesis proposed by Krashen (1982) in which it says that the acquired system will function as monitor or editor to the language production. The students’ monitor performance will vary based on how they make use of their acquired system. They may use it optimally (monitor optimal user), overly (monitor over-user), or they may not use it at all (monitor under-user). Therefore, learners’ grammatical competence has its own role, which is very crucial, within learners’ language production, which is not only to produce the language, but also to monitor the language production itself. Because of this reason, focus on form instruction will give a great impact for students’ grammatical competence within their communicative competence. This paper aims to present ideas about the how crucial the role grammatical competence within learners’ L2 communication.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document