Dictionary Use in Foreign Language Writing Exams
Impact and implications
1st Edition
Published on 30. July 2008
XIII, 228 pages
978-90-272-9057-1 (ISBN)
Description
This book provides an in-depth analysis of what happens when intermediate level learners of a foreign language use a bilingual dictionary when writing. Dictionaries are frequently promoted to people learning a foreign language. Nevertheless, teachers often talk about their students' inability to use dictionaries properly, especially when they write, and this can be problematic. This book paints a comprehensive picture of the differences a dictionary makes and brings out the implications for language learning, teaching, and testing practices. It draws on research in which participants in three studies took writing tests in two test conditions - with and without a dictionary. They were also asked what they thought about the two test types. Their performances and opinions were analyzed in a variety of ways. Conclusions from the data highlight some of the practical issues to be kept in mind if we want to help foreign language learners to use bilingual dictionaries effectively when writing.
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Content
- Dictionary Use in Foreign Language Writing Exams
- Editorial page
- Title page
- LCC data
- Table of contents
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- List of key acronyms
- 1. What is the problem with dictionaries?
- 2. On dictionaries and writing
- 3. Does the dictionary really make a difference?
- 4. How do test takers use dictionaries?
- 5. When the dictionary becomes a liability
- 6. What do the test takers think of having a dictionary?
- 7. Some more test taker perspectives
- 8. Having a dictionary in writing exams - is it useful and is it fair?
- 9. Maximizing the opportunity and minimizing the liability
- References
- Appendix 1: A note on intermediate level students
- Appendix 2: A note on data and procedures to establish reliability
- Appendix 3: The writing tasks used in the first two studies
- Appendix 4: A note on inferential statistics
- Index
- The series Language Learning & Language Teaching
