VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES
********************* NGUYỄN THỊ THANH HỒNG A STUDY OF USING DICTIONARIES IN LEARNING AND TEACHING
AT LAM SƠN HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE GIFTED, THANH HOA

NGHIÊN CỨU VIỆC SỬ DỤNG TỪ ĐIỂN TRONG DẠY VÀ HỌC TIẾNG
ANH TẠI TRƢỜNG THPT CHUYÊN LAM SƠN, THANH HÓA

M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS FIELD: ENGLISH TEACHING METHODOLOGY
CODE: 60140111

Hanoi, 2014



i
DECLARATION

This thesis is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
Master of Education. I certify that the thesis is the report of my own research, and
that it has not been submitted for any other university or institution. Thanh Hoa, September, 2014
Student‘s signature

Nguyễn Thị Thanh Hồng
iii
ABSTRACT

Focusing on using dictionaries in learning and teaching English at Lam Son
high school for the gifted, this action research is aimed at investigating the actual
using of dictionaries in learning and teaching English to find out the appropriate
way to use dictionaries. After carrying out preliminary investigation and literature
review, it is found out that most of the respondents had not been trained to use
dictionaries, and that they had difficulties in using it for reading comprehension. In
an attempt to examine the best way to teach students at Lam Son high school for the
gifted to use dictionaries in learning English, the study focuses on issues (1) in what
way do students at Lam Son high school for the gifted use dictionaries to enhance
learning English? (2) What are appropriate ways to teach students to use
dictionaries in learning English? The action research was then designed and
implemented in the second semester of the school year 2013-2014 with the
participation of 80 students from 10A and 11A. The data was collected by a number
of instruments including questionnaire for students, teacher‘s observation, and pre –
test and post – test. The result of the study indicates that most of the students had
not been trained to use dictionaries. They are too dependent on dictionaries.
Pedagogical recommendations are made to guide students to use the dictionary
effectively. The study will contribute to practice in using monolingual dictionaries
properly, help the learners and teacher in choosing the useful and suitable
dictionaries in general secondary schools as well as private Lam Son school for
the gifted.


v
TABLE OF CONTENTS
DECLARATION i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii
ABSTRACT iii
LIST OF TABLES iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS v
PART A: INTRODUCTION 1
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1
1. Rationale of the study 1
2. Aims of the study 2
3. Research questions 2
4. Scope of the study 2
5. Design of the study 3
6. Design of the study 3
PART B: DEVELOPMENT 5
CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW 5
1.1. The lexicography. 5
1.1.1 Definitions of lexicography 5
1.1.2. Disciplines of lexicography 5
1. 2. The dictionary 6
1.2.1 Definition of the dictionary 6
1.2.2. Types of dictionaries 6


1
PART A: INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1. Rationale
Nowadays, when the world is being globalized, learning another language as
a second language becomes more necessary. A big question is: In addition to the
skills, which was taught and learned at high school like listening, speaking, reading
and writing, using of dictionaries play important role or not in teaching and learning
foreign languages in general, and as English in particular.
There are many opinions given, everyone is arguing about this issue. There are
methods think that, do not need a dictionary for language learning, just guess the
meaning of the word is to achieve the purpose of communication, and it is advised
to use the main dictionaries when learning a foreign language. Some people
condemn the excessive use dictionaries; and others encourage students to use the
dictionary. So, what is right, what is wrong?
Truly, the dictionary is regarded as a tool that everyone uses when we learn
English. But in many people‘s mind, the training of using languages hasn‘t been pay
attention. Until the present, many students at high schools don‘t know how to use
dictionaries effectively. However, if asked to explain the use process in detail, even
language teachers may not be able to answer satisfactorily.
There are some researches on using dictionaries in the world or in Vietnam.
However, research on using dictionaries in learning and teaching English at gifted
high school has not been done yet.

2. What are appropriate ways to teach students to use dictionaries in learning
English?
4. Scope of the study
This study was conducted in two classes 10A and 11A at Lam Sơn high
schools for the gifted. In this study, I only focused on investigating the usage of
dictionaries for English major students. Because there are many kinds of
dictionaries, such as: monolingual, bilingual, pocket dictionaries, online 3
dictionaries, specialized dictionaries, etc., so I just focused on the usage of
monolingual and bilingual dictionaries.
5. Methods of the study
This study is conducted in the form of an action research. The data serving
the research analysis and discussion were collected by means of:
- Questionnaires for students
- Classroom observation
- Pre-test and Post-test
In addition, to make the data collected more reliable an authentic, qualitative
method was applied.
6. Design of the study
The study is divided into three parts.
Part A: Introduction shows the rationale for the research, the aims, the research
questions, the scope, the methods and the design of the study.
Part B: Development consists of three chapters.
Chapter 1: Literature review not only deals with an overview of background to
the study, including key concepts and theories to the research topic but also
discusses previous studies of the field to reveal the research gap which needs filling.
Chapter 2: Methodology introduces the participants, instrumentation, research
process and plan of action.


5
PART B: DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW
This chapter is to set the present study against the research background of
lexicography and the dictionary, different kinds of dictionaries, role of the
dictionary and using dictionaries in learning and teaching English, levels of
students and some researches into dictionary use.
1.1. The lexicography
1.1.1 Definition of lexicography
Lexicography is the art of building, editing, and writing dictionaries. It may
be used in reference to the design and even evaluation of dictionaries. There are
even dictionaries that may be used for specific fields or subjects. Many dictionaries
are now digitized and computers have the ability to track and maintain entries much
better than using paper, pens, and human recollection.
1.1.2 Disciplines of lexicography
Lexicography is divided into two related disciplines:
 Practical lexicography is the art or craft of compiling, writing and
editing dictionaries.
 Theoretical lexicography is the scholarly discipline of analyzing and describing
the semantic, syntagmatic and paradigmatic relationships within
the lexicon (vocabulary) of a language, developing theories of dictionary
components and structures linking the data in dictionaries, the needs for
information by users in specific types of situation, and how users may best access

vocabulary learning and acquisition. But which kind of a dictionary students should
use has become a controversial issue in the literature. Should the dictionary use be
determined by students‘ level or proficiency or other factors?
1.2.2. Types of Dictionaries
Dictionaries can be classified by many criteria. One way of categorizing
dictionaries is by the number of languages contained in a dictionary. Nation (2001:
288-290) put dictionaries into three classes: monolingual, bilingual, and
bilingualized (although trilingual and multilingual dictionaries exist as well). 7
Monolingual dictionaries are written in only one language (e.g. English-English
learners dictionary) while bilingual dictionaries are written in two languages (e.g.
English-Vietnamese and Vietnamese-English dictionaries). Bilingualized
dictionaries contain monolingual L2 definitions immediately followed by an L1
translation or a L1 gloss (Pujol et al, 2006). This description applies when looking
up words in L2. When looking up words in L1, however, bilingualized dictionaries
just provide the translation, plus production information.
Dictionaries (monolingual, bilingual, bilingualized) can take many modes of
presentation. Nesi (1998) classifies dictionaries into two modes of presentation:
paper-based dictionaries and computer-based dictionaries (also known as electronic
dictionaries).
There are three types of electronic dictionaries: hand-held electronic
dictionaries (also known as pocket electronic dictionaries or PEDs), dictionaries on
CD-ROM, and dictionaries on the Internet. The main difference between electronic
dictionaries and paper-based dictionaries is not their information content but their
retrieval system (Nesi, 2000). The way a paper-based dictionary organizes
information is primarily linear, which is appropriate for the listing of a succession
of separate entries, while an electronic dictionary organizes in-formation so that
users can group or regroup words according to their semantic and pragmatic

explains the meaning of a word in the language that you are learning. A bilingual
dictionary provides a translation or explanation using another language, a language
you are very familiar with, usually your native language.
English monolingual dictionaries are created by English and American
scholars. Famous examples of such dictionaries are Oxford, Longman and Merriam-
Webster. Using them is difficult in my experience. Often I read the definition of the
word and am not sure if I correctly understand the meaning of the word. Maybe my
English is not advanced enough to use it. Reading the definition of the word takes
more time and requires more thinking to understand the meaning. The scope of a
monolingual dictionary is limited while listening or reading English texts. They are
useless when you want to write something yourself, such as this post, and you lack
the words you‘re looking for. 9
There are no such problems with bilingual dictionaries. The solution to the
problem is that the word‘s meaning appears instantly. So, many people use bilingual
dictionaries while learning English. However, the advantage of monolingual
dictionaries is that using them allows you to ―immerse‖ yourself so much more into
the language. In using such dictionaries, you can sometimes forget about your
native language and only think in your target language. Hayati & Fattahzadeh,
(2006) also claims that a monolingual dictionary not only demonstrates definitions
but also other important aspects. He believes that more encouragement should be
given to the use of monolingual dictionary because it promotes fluency by offering
definitions in context; in contrast the bilingual dictionaries tend to encourage word
for word translation equivalents that may not be appropriate in certain situations and
might cause confusion and ambiguity. Moreover, Bensoussan et al. (1984, as cited
in Hayati, 2006, p. 126) point out that the bilingual dictionaries seem to give
students security of concrete answers, while monolingual dictionaries often force
students to guess and predict the meaning, and lead to doubt and confusion.

knowing its written and spoken form, its meanings and the words it is most
commonly associated with, its derivation, how it is used in different situations, its
frequency, its grammatical behavior, its connotations, and how it can be used as a
verb, noun, adverb, etc. Learners can individually find all this information in a well-
chosen dictionary. Using a dictionary will also help the learner develop
autonomy: “A learner who makes good use of a dictionary will be able to continue
learning outside the classroom, and this will give him considerable autonomy about
the decisions he makes about his own learning.” (Gairns & Redman, 2005:79). It
also gives the learner good learning habits: “There is tremendous amount of
information in a good learner‟s dictionary – sometimes an overwhelming amount.
Helping students tap into that information efficiently is one of the best ways to help
them become independent, lifelong language learners.” (Leaney, 2007:1)
We can see that dictionaries are very important language learning tool. They
are as useful as they can be counter-productive. To make dictionaries useful,
students must understand the role of dictionaries in English vocabulary building. 11
The following points listed below are some of the general reasons why we
should use dictionaries:
 In some cases of ESL/EFL teaching, words could be specific to a certain
profession. Sometimes looking up professional jargons is unavoidable.
 There are situations where the vocabulary of a lesson can be new to students,
even in their own native language.
 Sometimes we are unsure of the spelling of some words. Of course
dictionaries are very useful at such times.
 Idiomatic expressions and phrasal verbs can sometimes be too difficult to
guess, thereby necessitating the use of dictionaries.
 Some classroom activities and the teaching of certain skills are planned
around a dictionary.

from one language to another and to develop reading and writing skill. So, students
often must use dictionary.
Secondly, the Direct Method allows students to perceive meaning directly
through the language because no translation is allowed. Visual aids and pantomime
are used to clarify the meaning of vocabulary items and concepts. Students speak a
great deal in the target language and communicate as if in real situations. Reading
and writing are taught from the beginning, though speaking and listening skills are
emphasized. Grammar is learned inductively. It is a natural method. It teaches the
second/foreign language in the same way as one learns one‘s mother tongue. The
language is taught through demonstration and conversation in context. Pupils,
therefore, acquire fluency in speech. They are quick at understanding spoken
English. They can converse in English with felicity and ease. There is no gap
between active and passive vocabulary. This method does not differentiate between
active and passive vocabularies. According to this method whatever is required for
understanding through English is also required for expressing through it. If English
is taught through the mother tongue, the gulf between the active and passive
vocabularies is widened. The learner acquires more of passive vocabulary because
he concentrates on understanding English rather than expressing through it.
Therefore, in this method, student rarely use dictionary. 13
What about the communicative approach? The Communicative Approach
stresses the need to teach communicative competence as opposed to linguistic
competence; thus, functions are emphasized over forms. Students usually work with
authentic materials in small groups on communicative activities, during which they
receive practice in negotiating meaning. Communicative language teaching makes
use of real-life situations that necessitate communication. The teacher sets up a
situation that students are likely to encounter in real life. Unlike the audio-lingual
method of language teaching, which relies on repetition and drills, the

dictionaries works best. Students may first refer to one dictionary, check the other
and then return to the initial dictionary. This back and forth reinforces
comprehension. It also increases the chances that students will use the word.
Advanced students should be fully capable of consulting a monolingual dictionary.
There‘s no loss of meaning through translation. Students can also check which
word/definition is most appropriate to the situation. What‘s more, the students can
continue to think and word in the L2. Monolingual dictionaries can be tedious.
Advance students more actively work towards understanding through context
because it‘s often quicker that checking a dictionary. At this level, they have
sufficient skills and strategies which allow them to work around unknown words.
Whatever the level of student, limited and appropriate dictionary use proves
keys. Students should understand, and if necessary be reminded, that the purpose of
the activity is communication, or listening, or stringing together thoughts into a
single narrative, just to name a few possible examples. This can all be accomplished
without constantly checking the dictionary.
1.4. Previous studies into dictionary use
Language learners‘ use of the dictionary has been studied from various
perspectives. For example, studies have focused on the accuracy of learners‘
dictionary use (Nesi 2002; Gonzales 1999; as cited in Pousi; 2010), the effect of the
dictionary use on vocabulary learning and reading comprehension; (Knight ,1994),
and on the effect of different types of dictionaries such as bilingual, monolingual
and bilingualized dictionaries (Laufer and Hadar 1997; Tomaszczyk 1979).
Tomaszczyk (1979) was the pioneer and the first researcher to initiate an 15
investigation into the dictionary use by non-native speakers of English.
(Tomaszczyk, 1979, as cited in Ryu, 2005) he conducted a study based on Polish
learners at the university level for foreign language instructors, and translators.
Although participants expressed their satisfaction with monolingual dictionaries, the

useful as a monolingual one in reading comprehension of intermediate EFL
students. In light of the results above, both dictionaries are important, and bilingual
dictionaries are the best for beginners and intermediate-level learners and
monolingual dictionaries for the advanced-level ones.
Therefore, this study is set out to explore the students‘ attitudes and
perceptions about the use of the dictionary in general, and the monolingual and
bilingual in particular in both classroom and during exams with special emphasis in
EFL context specifically at Lam Son gifted high school, Thanh Hoa.
17