A Study on Internet Dictionaries within the EFL Context: Applications and Criteria

As Internet dictionary use is becoming increasingly prevalent, it is intriguing to ascertain what factors or criteria determine its effectiveness for looking up words. The purpose of this study is to gain insights into how learners make decisions on internet dictionary use within the EFL context. A questionnaire survey was administered to explore students' expectations of and levels of user satisfaction with online dictionary use. A total of 84 students from an Applied Foreign Languages Department participated in this study. Their vocabulary levels were measured to check the effect of learners' vocabulary competence on their decision-making in Internet dictionary selection and use. The present study reflects learners' views towards Internet dictionary use and identifies some factors and criteria of users' application and evaluation of Internet dictionaries. The most frequently used online dictionaries were revealed and the factors determining Internet dictionary selection were described in the findings. Lastly, some limitations of the study were discussed in detail. In conclusion, this study preliminarily established criteria for evaluation of Internet dictionaries and displayed a range of components for EFL learners to choose suitable reference tools. It also provided important information for lexicographers to use in the compiling of learner dictionaries.

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