Millennials as Dictionary Users: A Study of Dictionary Use Habits of Serbian EFL Students

Ljiljana Knežević, Sabina Halupka-Rešetar, Ivana Miškeljin and Mira Milić

SAGE Open, 2021, vol. 11, issue 2, 21582440211008422

Abstract: The article addresses the use of dictionaries among the new millennium generation of English as a foreign language (EFL) undergraduates. Applying the mixed-method approach (a questionnaire and interviews), the study examines the frequency of dictionary use, the types of dictionaries used, activities initiating dictionary consultation, information searched for, and problems faced in using dictionaries. The findings suggest that the participants are most fond of bilingual online dictionaries and use them mostly for looking up the meaning of unknown words. They also show that despite being high consumers of technology, participants do not benefit much from online dictionaries, as they neglect most of the entry information. The qualitative data reveal that the participants perceive various digital tools of questionable quality as online dictionaries. Overall, the study sheds light on the characteristic behavior of the new generation of EFL learners regarding their dictionary use and points to the necessity of developing their digital competence in the realm of dictionary use.

Keywords: dictionary; dictionary use; dictionary user; millennials; EFL (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:sagope:v:11:y:2021:i:2:p:21582440211008422

DOI: 10.1177/21582440211008422

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