- guardian.co.uk, Friday October 20 2006 11.28 BST
Learner autonomy is generally considered by teachers to be "a good thing". What could be better than learners who decide themselves that they want to learn certain language items and then set about studying them independently? What could be better than a fast, pocket-sized bit of technology that allows them to do just that, where and when they want?
Yet the increasing presence of portable electronic dictionaries (PEDs) in classrooms is dividing teachers. Some welcome them, while others says they distract students, can be overused and encourage dangerous word-for-word translation.
Their owners, on the other hand, seem to love them. Lighter, faster and much sexier than their paper ancestors, they offer instant access to a translation or definition, a spoken model, example sentences and more.
The time has come for sceptical teachers to take a closer look at their learners' PEDs and to understand why they are so popular.
Electronic dictionaries have become highly sophisticated machines. The best ones include well-respected mono-lingual software such as Collins CoBuild Learners', Oxford Advanced Learners' or Miriam-Webster Dictionaries. The bilingual dictionary software also seems to be more accurate nowadays. Some also have highly useful "bilingualised" software installed which shows the translation as well as the English definition, example sentences etc.
Some have a storage facility that allows learners to keep records of words they have looked up for future revision and recycling. If learners don't know the spelling of a word, they can use the "wildcard" function - using * or ? in place of the unknown letters. And PEDs equipped with an audio function can give examples of pronunciation.
As we learn more about these gadgets we should help learners see how they could use them more effectively. Learner training for dictionary use seems to have gone rather out of fashion and training for PEDs use never came in.
PEDs are great for task achievement. If students don't know the word, they look it up and fill in the blank. But how long does any knowledge gained from the look-up remain with the student? How much does it help his or her learning?
More mental processing is needed and a way found to hook the new language onto the learner's previous experience or knowledge. Encouraging students to write a personalised sentence using the look-up requires them to think more deeply about the word and about how it could relate to them. The teacher can then check that the word has been understood and used correctly (you also learn a lot about the students).
When writing, use of a poor dictionary or, more likely, poor use of a good dictionary can cause confusing or even comic results. Again the teacher can turn this into a learning opportunity by asking students to underline the words they have looked up and then comment on how appropriate they are and their use when marking the work.
With a paper dictionary, looking up an unknown word in a text was probably not worth the hassle for many learners; guessing was easier. On the other hand, looking up a word in a PED is easier and quicker than guessing, so it is tempting to over-use them. To help train students out of this habit, during a first reading of a text in class disallow dictionaries and ask learners to underline words that they would like to look up. They must then decide on a maximum of five of these words. After this they work with a partner comparing their words and negotiating to agree on five words between them.
There is a case for limiting PED use in class. Before speaking and writing activities, allow learners some time to predict and look up any vocabulary they think they will need to complete the task well. Set a time limit on this, say five minutes, during which you can also help with choosing the most appropriate word. Then all dictionaries must remain switched off during the activity itself.
There are other times when it may be inappropriate for learners to be searching in dictionaries, particularly when the teacher or other learners are speaking. Many teachers ban dictionary use at these times.
To counterbalance all this banning we should encourage PED use out of class. We can exploit the portability and immediacy of PEDs by setting learners tasks that involve their use.
For example: How many new words can be written on your way home from class today? Find out what they mean and be ready to discuss them in class tomorrow.
Find the English word for everything you eat in the next 24 hours.
At exactly 6pm this evening write down the English word for everything you can see. (In the next class students present their lists and others guess where they were.)
By training learners to use their PEDs well we may be able to minimise some of the bad habits, but teachers need to take time to find out what their useful features are.
