词典使用对搭配产出与记忆保持的效能研究——以手机在线词典为例

Effectiveness of Dictionary Use for Collocation Production and Retention: A Case Study of Smartphone Online Dictionaries

文章通过测试和回顾式问卷调查,考察词典对EFL学习者搭配产出及其记忆保持的作用,探讨影响词典使用效能的因素,分析学习者在词典使用技能方面存在的问题。62名英语专业本科生完成一项搭配填空任务,每个句子包含一个动词+名词的目标搭配,其中动词缺失,要求学生使用手机在线词典,根据句末提供的搭配汉语意思,补充目标搭配中的动词。之后开展问卷调查,要求学生根据真实情况,对完成任务过程中的词典使用策略及遇到的困难和问题进行回顾。一周后,对搭配的保持情况进行测试。研究发现,使用词典能够显著提升学生的产出性搭配知识,虽然这些搭配信息在一周之后只能保持三分之一多。影响词典使用效能的最关键因素是词典使用技能。学生在查找搭配的中心词策略、不同搭配的区分、搭配释义的理解,以及超级链接功能的使用等方面都存在欠缺。此外,文章也讨论了词典使用教学中的相关问题。

By means of testing and a retrospective questionnaire,the study examines the effectiveness of dictionary use for collocation production and retention,explores the factors that influence the effectiveness of dictionary use and identifies the problems of dictionary use skills of EFL learners.Sixty-two undergraduate English majors participate in a blank filling task which involves ten verb-noun target collocations.Each collocation is embedded in an English sentence with the verb missing.The students are required to complete,with the aid of an online dictionary accessed through their smartphones,the verb according to the Chinese translation of the target collocation at the end of sentence.A retrospective questionnaire is administered to elicit information about the student's dictionary use strategies and the difficulties and problems they encounter during dictionary use.One week later,a test is conducted to measure the retention of the target collocations.It is found that dictionary use can significantly contribute to the improvement of the productive collocation knowledge,although the students can only retain about one third of what they have correctly retrieved from the dictionary one week before.Dictionary use skill is the major factor that influences the effectiveness of dictionary use.The study reveals some deficiencies the students have in determining the key word for consultation,distinguishing between collocations about a same key word,understanding the English explanation of collocation and using the hyperlink function of the dictionary,etc.Some issues concerning dictionary use instruction are also discussed.