INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
ISSN: 2692-5206, Impact Factor: 12,23
American Academic publishers, volume 05, issue 04,2025
Journal:
https://www.academicpublishers.org/journals/index.php/ijai
page 485
STAGES OF USING DICTIONARY IN A TEACHING PROCESS
Tursunova Zulxumor Safarali qizi
Master of Kimyo International University of Tashkent Samarkhand branch
Abstract:
This article about dictionary is an important source of improving spelling literacy and
expanding vocabulary. Because working with dictionaries brings out the ability of observation
in students, improves their speech culture, expands their thinking and outlook ,increases their
vocabulary , improves students' ability to write words correctly, and develops their creativity. In
this article, the methods and a methods of using the dictionary in the process of teaching
students are disclosed.
Keywords:
language , dictionary, teaching, learners, process, vocabulary
Introduction.
A dictionary is an essential tool for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students in the
process of learning a language. Along with a course book and a grammar guide, a dictionary
plays a crucial role in the language - learning process. Similar to these other resources ,a
learner's dictionary should also focus on teaching and guiding the student. The importance of
dictionaries lies in their ability to provide not only words but also detailed information about
them. In fact, dictionaries serve both productive purposes - helping to generator text and acquire
vocabulary and receptive purposes - assisting in understanding new words or the details about
them. As Summers (1988:111) stages, "using a dictionary as a valuable activity for foreign
learners of English, aiding both comprehension and production." However, the effectiveness of
a dictionary depends on learnears' ability to quickly and accurately find the information it
provides. Utilizing a dictionary requires several skills that may not be immediately apparent
when simply looking up a word.
As educators , it is essential to continuously assess and respond to different aspects of out
teaching practices to ensure improvement . In this respect ,this study is an action-research
project focused on the use of dictionaries in the classroom. Our aim is to investigate methods
for motivating students fastering reflection and improving their vocabulary use skills during
their teaching.
Main Body
Many researchers acknowledge that the American lexicographer Barnhart (1962) was a pioneer
in empirical user research. He carried out a questionnaire survey among teachers who
reproduced their students' ranking six information categories offered by their dictionaries and
which were offered as follows: meaning, spelling, pronunciation, synonyms ,usage notes , and
etymology. While this survey faced criticism ,its significance lies in being the starting point for
the focus on user research .Despite being criticized, this survey is valuable as it serves as a
starting point for focusing on user research. The study , along with Quirk's (1974) investigation,
focused on dictionary use by native English speakers, although later research on EFL dictionary
users revisited some of the questions from the original study.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
ISSN: 2692-5206, Impact Factor: 12,23
American Academic publishers, volume 05, issue 04,2025
Journal:
https://www.academicpublishers.org/journals/index.php/ijai
page 486
McLaughlin (1978) suggests that developing vocabulary is the primary task for language
learners. He explains that learners often carry dictionaries ,rather than grammar books , when
travelling abroad because vocabulary acquisition is crucial. Learners need to understand not
only just individual words but also their syntactic relationships and collocations ,which can be
achieved through the use of a dictionary.
Folse ( 2014) defines vocabulary as including individual words ,sets of phrases, variable
phrases, phrasal verbs and idioms. He emphasizes that vocabulary is not only about the
meaning of words but also involves their collocations ,spelling, pronunciation, and other
aspects of language use.
Teaching English as a second language in a developing country like Nigeria presents more
challenges than in developed nations , where educational systems support the teaching of
dictionary skills in language acquisition. In such countries, students can link word meanings to
their background knowledge from their first language using bilingual dictionaries.
In Nigeria, traditional methods like chalk-and-talk instruction are still prevalent, through
teachers are slowly adopting innovative learning strategies and ICT tools to enhance
pedagogical activities in line with global best practices. However, the Nigeria educational
systems struggles to keep up with the scientific advancements seen in developed countries,
where educational policies are more closely aligned with students' needs ,as opposed to being
limited by the constraints of the economy. Hamilton (2012) observes the following: " Given
that students ' success in school and beyond depends in great measure upon their ability to read
with comprehension, there is an urgency to providing instruction that equip students with the
skills and strategies necessary for lifelong vocabulary development".
Recently ,many educational administrators practicularly in privately-owned secondary schools
in Nigeria, have started to implement dictionary -based language instruction. This approach
aims to significantly enhance students' communication skills ,not only in vocabulary
development but also in achieving proficiency in translation, reading ,and writing. This aligns
with the views of Gains and Redman(2005),who state that "a learner who effectively uses a
dictionary can continue learning outside the classroom, gaining considerable outonomy in
their educational decisions". Similarly , Leaney (2007:1) believes that "a good learner's
dictionary contains a vast amount of informations sometimes even, overwhelming". The
dictionary is a valuable tool for learning , particularly in an ESL context. According to Folse
(2004) ,research on learner strategies ,including the use of dictionaries and addressing students'
needs, grew in the mid-1990s.Folse describes learner strategies as the particular actions students
take to learn a language. Oxford (2003:8) defines learning strategies as" the specific behaviors
or cognitive processes students employ to improves their second language learning." Teachers
can also Explorer various strategies or resources to enhance effective language instruction.
Some of these resources include using vocabulary cards
, deducing meanings from
contexts ,translating from the learner's native language breaking down word parts to understand
new words ,and consulting the dictionary.
Conclusion.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
ISSN: 2692-5206, Impact Factor: 12,23
American Academic publishers, volume 05, issue 04,2025
Journal:
https://www.academicpublishers.org/journals/index.php/ijai
page 487
One of the hypotheses that has been tested through this project is that dictionaries are a stock of
meanings to students and that they make very poor use of it (because they do not know how
to). Besides , they do not read the introductory pages containing explanations of what the
dictionary contains and instructions on how to use it. The first step should be to help the
learners discover all the hidden possibilities by:
a. teaching them what a learner’s dictionary is
b. teaching them how the information is organized
c. devising a programme of activities to learn to use it
The dictionary-related activities encourage students' creativity, as they are not merely
completing an exercise but actively exploring the language. This is also crucial because it can
help build the self-confidence of less proficient learners. As we have observed, dictionary
training involves various aspects, and it's not effective to teach them all at once. Instead,
dictionary training should be a consistent part of classroom activities, allowing students to
develop good habits and strengthen their skills. It is recommended that students practice these
skills regularly throughout their academic journey, ensuring that the abilities they gain can be
applied independently outside of the classroom . In fact, many researchers, such as Stark (1990:
28) and Prado Aragonés (2001: 209), agree that dictionary use should be incorporated into the
teaching process. We argue that this approach should be part of the language curriculum, with
the most effective method being to include it as an essential component within textbook units
(for instance, when teaching verb complementation, phrasal verbs, word formation, and
collocations)
References:
1. Mclaughlin, B. (1978). The monitor model: Some methodological considerations.
Language Learning, 28(2), 309-332. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-17 70.1978.tb00137.x
2. Prado Aragonés, Josefina (2001): “El diccionario como recurso para la enseñanza del
léxico: estrategias y actividades para su aprovechamiento”. In M. Ayala Castro, ed.,
Diccionarios y Enseñanza. Alcalá de Henares: Servicio de Publicaciones de la
Universidad de Alcalá, 205–226.
3. Hamilton, H. (2012). The efficacy of dictionary use while reading for learning new words.
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https://doi.org/10.1353/aad.2012.1627.Folse, K. (2004). Vocabulary myths: Applying
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