bilingual dictionary use
Dictionary use & assessment | Robert Haines | July 8th, 2005
Has anyone conducted research on the use of bilingual dictionaries among language learners? I'm particularly interested in the following questions:
1. What are the pros and cons of teachers encouraging or even requiring exclusive use of monolingual (English) dictionaries in/outside class?
2. Is it possible to approach an assessment of bilingual dictionaries with only an elementary level of competence in one of the two languages used in a dictionary?
Rob
Re: Dictionary use & assessment | Ramesh Krishnamurthy | July 8th, 2005
Hi
Re: your first question: A Google search on "dictionary use" and "language learners" returned some interesting research, for example:
Research on Dictionary Use by Trainee Translators
By María del Mar Sánchez Ramos, Ph.D.1
Abstract
It seems self-evident that dictionary consultation constitutes an important stage in the process of translation. Dictionaries provide translators with valuable information. However, if we want our students to be efficient users of this reference material, we need to understand how they use these sources of vocabulary in their work. Taking these two statements as starting points, our paper reports on some of our research findings, in which we discuss the results of an empirical research project, conducted with translation students at University Jaume I (Castellon, Spain), in order to establish how they use different types of dictionaries. We comment on the main objectives of our research and findings regarding the types of dictionary used the frequency of use, the main reasons for consultation, etc. The conclusion is that our students do not take advantage of the different dictionaries available. In addition, the results suggest that they are not familiar with electronic dictionaries—CD-ROM dictionaries and online dictionaries.
and numerous references to such research, such as:
A Case for a Semi-Bilingual Dictionary for Productive Purposes
Batia Laufer
Abstract
The paper argues for a need for a semi-bilingual learner's dictionary for productive purposes. An entry in such a dictionary would include an L1-L2 translation and provide specifications and examples of use of the target L2 word. Elements of contrastive semantic analysis would be incorporated into the entry. It is claimed that a dictionary of monolingual and bilingual information is both effective for learners and appreciated by them.
Henri Bejoint and Sue (B.T.) Atkins, among others:
Atkins, B. T. (Sue) ed. 1998. Using dictionaries: studies of dictionary use by language learners and translators . Lexicographica Series Maiora 88 . Tübingen: Max Niemeyer Verlag.
Sue Atkins has been a professional lexicographer since 1966, first with Collins Publishers (now HarperCollins). where she was General Editor of the first 'modern' innovative English-French dictionary, the Collins-Robert English-French Dictionary, then as Lexicographic Adviser to Oxford University Press, where she pioneered an effective methodology for the creation of bilingual dictionaries from corpus data, resulting in the Oxford-Hachette English-French Dictionary.
Google Scholar gives even more focused results.
The answer to your second question is surely 'yes', if one spends a bit of time finding out about criteria for dictionary assessment in general. Some aspects (e.g. inclusion/exclusion, L1-L2 and L2-L1 consistency) don't require much knowledge of L2.
Hope this helps.
Ramesh
A bibliography of dictionary use studies | Robert Haines | July 9th, 2005
For anyone interested, this link should take you to a bibliography of dictionary use studies, which could be a handy reference guide.
Rob
Editor's Note: Here is a screen-shot of part of the main page:
Bibliography of Dictionary User Studies
I would like to thank Sue Atkins for her contribution of the bibliography from the forthcoming paper by Professor Hulstijn and herself in LEXICOGRAPHICA Series Maior. I also added the papers in Worterbucher/ Dictionaries/ Dictionnaires. (Updated on June 3, 1997)
with 
and 
