Using a bilingual electronic dictionary to improve vocabulary learning for secondary school students of English as a foreign language (EFL)

Research paper from the year 2015 in the subject English - Pedagogy, Didactics, Literature Studies, , language: English, abstract: The aim of this evidence-based study is to investigate the use of the bilingual electronic dictionary strategy to improve EFL/ESL secondary school students` vocabulary learning. Three aspects have been studied in depth: the effect of using the electronic bilingual dictionary strategy on improving EFL students' vocabulary learning, the attitudes of the students and the teachers towards the target strategy, and the students` ability to use the bilingual electronic dictionary. The findings of this study indicate that the bilingual electronic dictionary has a positive and an effective role in the process of vocabulary learning. Moreover, the students show positive attitudes towards using the bilingual electronic dictionary. Nevertheless, instructors may show negative attitudes towards the target strategy for certain reasons . The analysis of data further revealed that the critical point that affects the evaluation of the target strategy is the ability to use the electronic dictionary. If the students and teachers are not able to use the bilingual electronic dictionary, they may show negative attitudes towards it and the strategy will then be useless. Thus, the study suggests some recommendations for using the target strategy effectively for EFL/ESL secondary students vocabulary learning and overall lexical acquisition.