The Use of a Monolingual Dictionary for Meaning Determination by Advanced Cantonese ESL Learners in Hong Kong

Chan, Alice Yin Wa

doi:10.1093/applin/amr038

Cited by 23 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Even advanced learners tend to prefer bilingual dictionaries and to focus on L1-L2 translation equivalents over other types of information (Atkins & Varantola, 1998;Frankenberg-Garcia, 2005), while use of monolingual dictionaries can be impeded by L2 processing constraints (Neubach & Cohen, 1988;Tono, 2001). Learners have trouble distinguishing correctly among senses of polysemous words (Chan, 2011;Nesi & Haill, 2002) and tend to focus only on the initial or final entries (Nesi & Tan, 2011). They often ignore explicit usage information presented via symbols or codes and rely instead on examples for guidance (Bogaards & van der Kloot, 2002;Chan, 2012;Dziemianko, 2006), which can lead them astray when, for example, they use a word's semantic associations to deduce facts about its usage.…”

Section: Figure 1 Syntactic Patterns In the Longman Dictionary Of Conmentioning

confidence: 99%

Designing Online Strategy Instruction for Integrated Vocabulary Depth of Knowledge and Web-based Dictionary Skills

Ranalli¹

2013

CALICO Journal

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This paper describes the design and development of a CALL resource that teaches aspects of word combinability (i.e., grammatical collocation, transitivity, and complementation) to tertiary-level ESL learners by integrating conceptual understanding with related text-analysis and web-based dictionary skills. The resource delivers an automated, online form of strategy instruction outside of class time, facilitating self-paced learning with sufficient practice and feedback. In addition to the L2 lexicography, vocabulary, and strategy literatures, the project is informed by instructional design principles aimed at 1) managing demands on learners' cognitive processing capacities; 2) differentiating materials so as to appropriately target declarative or procedural forms of knowledge or the integration and coordination of the two; and 3) harnessing the computer's multimedia capabilities in principled ways. It seeks to address a number of related issues in second language studies including: the fact that pedagogical dictionaries go largely under-exploited and misused by their target audience; the apparent lack of understanding of collocational relationships among many L2 learners of English; the challenge of providing strategy instruction cost-effectively; and the need to facilitate more strategic and self-directed use of CALL resources. ABSTRACTThis paper describes the design and development of a CALL resource that teaches aspects of word combinability (i.e., grammatical collocation, transitivity, and complementation) to tertiary-level ESL learners by integrating conceptual understanding with related text-analysis and web-based dictionary skills. The resource delivers an automated, online form of strategy instruction outside of class time, facilitating self-paced learning with sufficient practice and feedback. In addition to the L2 lexicography, vocabulary, and strategy literatures, the project is informed by instructional design principles aimed at 1) managing demands on learners' cognitive processing capacities; 2) differentiating materials so as to appropriately target declarative or procedural forms of knowledge or the integration and coordination of the two; and 3) harnessing the computer's multimedia capabilities in principled ways. It seeks to address a number of related issues in second language studies including: the fact that pedagogical dictionaries go largely under-exploited and misused by their target audience; the apparent lack of understanding of collocational relationships among many L2 learners of English; the challenge of providing strategy instruction cost-effectively; and the need to facilitate more strategic and self-directed use of CALL resources.

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Section: Figure 1 Syntactic Patterns In the Longman Dictionary Of Conmentioning

confidence: 99%

Designing Online Strategy Instruction for Integrated Vocabulary Depth of Knowledge and Web-based Dictionary Skills

Ranalli¹

2013

CALICO Journal

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“…Chan 2012aChan , 2012b, after the completion of all the three sentences for each noun, the participants had to complete an introspective questionnaire. The objective of the introspective questionnaires was to gather information about how the information given in the dictionary helped them make their decisions.…”

Section: Introspective Questionnairesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effectiveness of Using a Bilingualized Dictionary for Determining Noun Countability and Article Selection

Chan

2017

LEXI

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This article discusses the use of a bilingualized dictionary, namely Oxford AdvancedLearner's English-Chinese Dictionary 8 (OALECD8), by advanced Hong Kong Cantonese ESL learners in the determination of noun countability and associated article use. A homogenous group of 30 English majors in a local university participated in the study, which consisted of a noun countability and article selection task without and with the use of the dictionary. The results show that although bilingualized dictionaries are useful in helping learners determine noun countability and associated article use, learners often misinterpret dictionary information and model on inappropriate structures, resulting in article errors and/or wrong countability judgments. Chinese translations are also sometimes sources of errors. The results of the study provide lexicographers with signposts to the selection of noun information to be included in a learner's dictionary. More explicit information about noun countability and related article use should be provided in a more userfriendly arrangement. ESL teachers are also advised to engage advanced learners in analyses uncovering the different syntactic requirements of equivalent vocabulary items in the target and source languages when using a bilingualized dictionary. Keywords: ENGLISH NOUN COUNTABILITY, ENGLISH ARTICLE SYSTEM, ARTICLE SELECTION, BILINGUALIZED DICTIONARIES, LEARNERS' DICTIONARIES, CANTONESE ESL LEARNERS, SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION, EFFECTIVENESS OF DICTIONARIESOpsomming: Die effektiwiteit van die gebruik van verklarende woordeboeke met 'n tweetalige dimensie om substantiewe se telbaarheid en lidwoordseleksie te bepaal. Hierdie artikel bespreek die gebruik van 'n verklarende woordeboek met vertalings ("bilingualized dictionary"), naamlik die Oxford Advanced Learner's EnglishChinese Dictionary 8 (OALECD8), deur gevorderde Hongkongse Kantonnese EVT-leerders vir die bepaling van die telbaarheid van substantiewe en die gepaardgaande lidwoordgebruik. 'n Homogene groep van 30 studente met Engels as hoofvak by 'n plaaslike universiteit het aan die studie deelgeneem, wat uit 'n taak bestaan het waar die telbaarheid van substantiewe bepaal en lidwoorde geselekteer moes word sonder en met die gebruik van 'n woordeboek. Die resultate toon dat, hoewel 'n verklarende woordeboek met vertalings nuttig is om leerders te help om die telbaarheid van substantiewe en die gepaardgaande lidwoorde te bepaal, leerders dikwels woordeboekinligting verkeerd interpreteer en op onvanpaste strukture baseer, wat tot lidwoordfoute en/of http://lexikos.journals.ac.za 184Alice Yin Wa Chan verkeerde besluite ten opsigte van telbaarheid lei. Chinese vertalings is ook soms die oorsaak van foute. Die resultate van die studie verskaf aanwysings aan leksikograwe vir die seleksie van inligting oor substantiewe wat in 'n aanleerderswoordeboek ingesluit behoort te word. Meer eksplisiete inligting oor die telbaarheid van substantiewe en die verwante gebruik van lidwoorde behoort in 'n meer gebruikersvriendelike ontwe...

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“…Numerous empirical studies on meaning determination resort to a specific learning task, namely text reception, production, and vocabulary learning to examine the effectiveness and efficiency of the dictionaries in different formats. Empirical findings generally show that it is still very challenging for foreign language learners to select the correct sense for a given context (Chan 2012(Chan : 135, 2014Ding 2015: 25-26;Nesi and Tan 2011: 90-91;Ptasznik and Lew 2014: 251). Undoubtedly, these empirical studies shed some light on understanding the problems with the present lexicographic practices, which is certainly helpful for devising models for future lexicographic practice.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Representing the Cultural Dimension of Meaning in Learner's Dictionaries — From the Perspective of Chinese EFL Learners in L2 Reception

Xue

2017

LEXI

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Abstract:Meaning in dictionaries ranks as the most frequent data type consulted by languagelearners. An extensive range of devices have been developed to represent the meaning of lexical items in learner's dictionaries. Starting from interpreting foreign language learners' lexicographic needs in specific user situations, this paper aims to examine the implications of customizing definitions from the cultural perspective with specific reference to Chinese learners of English. The purpose of this paper is three-fold: i) to understand the status quo of the lexicographic practice of English learner's dictionaries in terms of representing the cultural dimension of a lexical item; ii) to interpret the impacts of foreign language learners' language and cultural background on their lexicographic needs in terms of cultural aspects in L2 reception; iii) to address the identified problems with present lexicographic practices through model articles. It is expected that the findings in this paper can shed some light on interpreting other ethnic groups of learners' lexicographic needs in different situations and contribute to improving the services of learner's dictionaries in the future as well. Keywords: CHINESE EFL LEARNERS, CULTURAL DIMENSION, L2 RECEPTION, LEARNER'S DICTIONARIESOpsomming: Die weergee van die kulturele dimensie van betekenis in aanleerderswoordeboeke -uit die oogpunt van Chinese EVT-leerders in L2-resepsie. Betekenis in woordeboeke word beskou as die mees frekwente datasoort wat deur taalaanleerders opgesoek word. 'n Omvattende reeks hulpmiddels is ontwikkel om die betekenis van leksikale items in aanleerderswoordeboeke weer te gee. Hierdie artikel begin by die interpretasie van vreemdetaalleerders se leksikografiese behoeftes in spesifieke gebruikersituasies en beoog om die implikasies van die pasmaking van definisies uit 'n kulturele perspektief te ondersoek met spesifieke verwysing na Chinese aanleerders van Engels. Die doel van hierdie artikel is drievoudig: i) om die status quo van die leksikografiese praktyk van Engelse aanleerderswoordeboeke te verstaan ten opsigte van die weergee van die kulturele dimensie van 'n leksikale item; ii) om die uitwerking van vreemdetaalleerders se taalkundige en kulturele agtergrond op hul leksikografiese behoeftes te interpreteer ten opsigte van kulturele aspekte by L2-resepsie; iii) om die geïdentifi-seerde probleme met die huidige leksikografiese praktyke deur modelartikels aan te spreek. Daar

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The Use of a Monolingual Dictionary for Meaning Determination by Advanced Cantonese ESL Learners in Hong Kong

Cited by 23 publications

References 30 publications

Designing Online Strategy Instruction for Integrated Vocabulary Depth of Knowledge and Web-based Dictionary Skills

Designing Online Strategy Instruction for Integrated Vocabulary Depth of Knowledge and Web-based Dictionary Skills

The Effectiveness of Using a Bilingualized Dictionary for Determining Noun Countability and Article Selection

Representing the Cultural Dimension of Meaning in Learner's Dictionaries — From the Perspective of Chinese EFL Learners in L2 Reception

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