Electronic Dictionaries as Language Learning Tools for Iranian Junior High School Studentss

Abstract

The use of electronic dictionaries for learning English vocabulary items has attracted tremendous attention recently (Dashtestani, 2013). While the majority of research studies have focused on adult learners at universities, this study compared English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers’ and students’ perspectives on students’ use of electronic dictionaries at a junior high school level. Participants who took part in the questionnaire study were 211 junior high school students and 20 junior high school teachers. A total of 60 junior high school students and 4 junior high school teachers took part in the interviews as well. In general, the teachers and students had positive views about the use of electronic dictionaries for learning EFL vocabulary items, and there were both differences and similarities between the teachers’ and students’ attitudes. Regarding reasons for which EFL students made use of electronic dictionaries, the teachers and students perceived that the EFL teacher plays the most important role in comparison to other factors/individuals such as the family, the Internet, and students themselves. Findings also indicated that the students did not know different types of electronic dictionaries and did not make use of them frequently. Some perceived challenges, including the restrictive regulations of schools and the lack of access to the Internet and digital facilities, were identified and discussed. The findings can have implications for renewing vocabulary learning techniques and tools used by EFL teachers and students, and thus, pave the way for normalizing the use of electronic dictionaries and the implementation of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) in EFL courses for junior high school students.