Dictionary Use of Learners Learning Turkish as a Foreign Language: A Case Study

Year 2023, Issue: 40, 21 - 31, 29.12.2023

Mehmet Gürlek

https://doi.org/10.26650/jol.2023.1310404

Abstract

In foreign language learning, one of the identification strategies involved in vocabulary is to consult a dictionary. Dictionaries, which are reference sources, are not only a source for the meaning of a word contain a lot of information from spelling to pronunciation, grammar to the use of meaning. One of the issues that should be emphasized is the use and user experience for reference dictionaries. The centrality of user experience in the use and design of dictionaries is evident from the recent literature in academic lexicography. From learner needs to dictionary design, user experience offers both lexicographical and educational tools. Ther are two main strategies in lexical learning in the literature. These are discovery and reinforcement strategies. The subject of this study is to focus on the views of learners of Turkish as a foreign language and the use of dictionaries, which is one of the lexical learning strategies within the identification strategies. For this purpose, using a case study design, we asked questions to 25 learners of Turkish as a foreign language in Turkiye with a semi-structured interview form. We analyzed them using descriptive analysis and then evaluated the data. The findings show that learners of Turkish as a foreign language do not have sufficient knowledge about what information is included in a dictionary and how to use a dictionary.

Keywords

Vocabulary learning, dictionary, dictionary use, teaching Turkish as a foreign language

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