Translation Trainees’ Uses of and Attitudes towards Different Types of Dictionaries: A Case Study

Nasrin Altuwairesh

Abstract


The focus of most studies on dictionary users has been on foreign and second language learners, with seldom attention paid to translation trainees. Given that the dictionary is an indispensable tool used by translators and translators in the making alike, research in this regard is crucial to uncover the uses and attitudes of this group of dictionary users’ towards different forms of dictionaries. Revealing translation trainees’ practices facilitates the correction of wrong ones and helps in guiding students towards the efficient use of dictionaries. The ultimate goal is, thus, informing translation pedagogy. Hence, the present study aims at investigating translation trainees’ uses of dictionaries and their attitudes towards different types of dictionaries. The focus is on uncovering the uses and attitudes of Saudi undergraduate female translation trainees towards the different forms of dictionaries available for them today. The article in hand specifically reports on the quantitative phase of a two-phase, mixed-methods case study. A group of 95 undergraduate students answered a multi-item, online questionnaire, with the aim of revealing their dictionary uses and preferences. The results confirmed the participants’ preference for and heavy reliance on electronic dictionaries, due to their convenience, comprehensiveness, portability and being up-to-date. The results further indicated the participants’ preference for bilingual over monolingual dictionaries. Surprisingly, the results also showed that a high number of the respondents reported using Google Translate frequently. Despite these findings, the survey results revealed that the participants have good knowledge of and do in fact use a wide selection of bilingual and monolingual dictionaries, including paper and electronic ones.

Keywords


Dictionary Use, Electronic Dictionary, Paper Dictionary, Translation Pedagogy, Translation Trainee

Full Text:

PDF

References


Alhaisoni, E. (2016). EFL teachers’ and students’ perceptions of dictionary use and preferences. International Journal of Linguistics, 8(6), 31–52. https://doi.org/10.5296/ijl.v8i6.10267

De Schryver, G.-M. (2003). Lexicographers’ dreams in the electronic-dictionary age. International Journal of Lexicography, 16(2), 143–199.

Dziemianko, A. (2010). Paper or electronic? the role of dictionary form in language reception, production and the retention of meaning and collocations. International Journal of Lexicography, 23(3), 257–273. https://doi.org/10.1093/ijl/ecp040

Dziemianko, A. (2013). On the use(fulness) of paper and electronic dictionaries. Electronic Lexicography, 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199654864.003.0015

Dziemianko, A., & Lew, R. (2006). Research into dictionary use by Polish learners of English: Some methodological considerations. IFAtuation: A Life in IFA. A Festschrift for Professor Jacek Fisiak on the Occasion of His 70th Birthday, September, 211–233. http://hdl.handle.net/10593/732

Fujii, Y. (2007). Making the most of search engines for Japanese to English translation: Benefits and challenges. The Asian EFL Journal Professional Teaching Articles, 23, 1–36.

Göpferich, S. (2009). Towards a model of translation competence and its acquisition: The longitudinal study TransComp. In A. L. J. & I. M. M. S. Göpferich (Ed.), Behind the Mind: Methods, Models and Results in Translation Process Research (pp. 12–38). Samfundslitteratur Press. https://doi.org/10.1075/btl.45

Kodura, M. (2016). Dictionary-using skills of translation students. The Central European Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 4, 235–242.

Law, W. (2009). Translation Students ’ Use of Dictionaries : A Hong Kong Case Study for Chinese to English Translation. University of Durham.

Levy, M., & Steel, C. (2014). Language learner perspectives on the functionality and use of electronic language dictionaries. ReCALL, 27(2), 177–196. https://doi.org/10.1017/S095834401400038X

Lew, R. (2011). Online dictionaries of English. In P. A. Fuertes-Olivera & H. Bergenholtz (Ed.), E-Lexicography: The Internet, Digital Initiatives and Lexicography (pp. 230–250). Continuum. https://doi.org/10.1075/tlrp.14.10col

Lew, R. (2013a). From paper to electronic dictionaries: Evolving dictionary skills. Lexicography and Dictionaries in the Information Age. Selected Papers from the 8th ASIALEX International Conference, 1, 79–84. http://www.asialex2013.org/03_Asialex8_Proceedings_Internet_Papers 1-25.pdf

Lew, R. (2013b). How can we make electronic dictionaries more effective? In S. Granger & M. Paquot (Ed.), Electronic lexicography (pp. 343–361). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199654864.003.0016

Lew, R. (2013c). Online dictionary skills. In Electronic lexicography in the 21st century: Thinking outside the paper. Proceedings of the eLex 2013 conference, 17-19 October 2013, Tallinn, Estonia (Issue May, pp. 16–31). http://eki.ee/elex2013/proceedings/eLex2013_02_Lew.pdf

Lew, R., & De Schryver, G. M. (2014). Dictionary users in the digital revolution. International Journal of Lexicography, 27(4), 341–359. https://doi.org/10.1093/ijl/ecu011

Liu, T. C., & Lin, P. H. (2011). What comes with technological convenience? Exploring the behaviors and performances of learning with computer-mediated dictionaries. Computers in Human Behavior, 27(1), 373–383. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2010.08.016

Nesi, H. (2000). Electronic dictionaries in second language vocabulary comprehension and acquisition: the state of the art. In E. L. & C. R. U. Heid, S. Evert (Ed.), Proceedings of the 9th EURALEX International Congress (pp. 839–848). Institut für Maschinelle Sprachverarbeitung.

Nesi, H. (2014). Dictionary use by English language learners. Language Teaching, 47(1), 38–55. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444813000402

Nesi, H., & Haill, R. (2002). A study of dictionary use by international students at a British university. International Journal of Lexicography, 15(4), 277–305. https://doi.org/10.1093/ijl/15.4.277

PACTE Group. (2005). Investigating translation competence: Conceptual and methodological issues. Meta, 50(2), 609–619. https://doi.org/10.7202/011004ar

Roberts, R. P. (1992). Translation pedagogy: Strategies for improving dictionary use. TTR : Traduction, Terminologie, Rédaction, 5(1), 49–76. https://doi.org/10.7202/037106ar

Sabbah, N., & Alsalem, R. (2018). Female translation students’ knowledge and use of online dictionaries and terminology data banks: A case study. Arab World English Journal For Translation and Literary Studies, 2(2), 81–102. https://doi.org/10.24093/awejtls/vol2no2.6

Wolter, L. (2015). Dictionary Use and Preferences of L2 English Learners in an Intensive English Context. St. Cloud State University, USA.




DOI: https://doi.org/10.7575/aiac.ijalel.v.10n.2p.73

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Bookmark and Share


Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

2012-2023 (CC-BY) Australian International Academic Centre PTY.LTD. 

International Journal of Applied Linguistics and English Literature

To make sure that you can receive messages from us, please add the journal emails into your e-mail 'safe list'. If you do not receive e-mail in your 'inbox', check your 'bulk mail' or 'junk mail' folders.