A comparative investigation of the effects of CD-ROM and printed dictionary Use on reading comprehension and vocabulary retention of University EFL students

Abstract

The dictionary is one of the common learning tools for foreign and second language learners who use various types of dictionaries to help them work on their language development. Yet, to my knowledge, the effects of dictionaries, either in printed or electronic form, have never been systematically investigated in the Algerian context. Consequently, in order to investigate whether dictionary support improves (affects) text comprehension and vocabulary retention, this study compares readers’ foreign language text comprehension and vocabulary retention across two dictionary conditions. Reading time, dictionary usage (lookup frequency), degree of comprehension, and recall of words were the dependent measures employed. The subjects of this study were 44 EFL sophomores studying in the English Department at Mentouri Brothers UniversityConstantine 1. They were assigned two reading tasks under two conditions: using a printed dictionary (PD) at one time and a CD-ROM dictionary (CD) at another. The presentation mode of the reading tests was on computer screen alone. I used a piece of monitoring software to record the subjects’ lookups in the CD-ROM dictionary condition. The monitoring software also took notes of the time each subject needed to finish the reading task in both conditions. The recorded information was automatically saved in log files concealed in the subjects’ computers, and a paired-samples t-test was then conducted to test the research hypotheses. In addition, Pearson’s correlation coefficient was computed to examine any correlation between the subjects’ lookup frequencies and their reading scores in both conditions. As for the vocabulary retention tests, I administered a pretest and posttest to the subjects in both lookup conditions (paper and CD-ROM), and an iv independent-samples t-test was conducted to compare memory for words. The analysis of information retrieved from the log files revealed that the CD-ROM dictionary enabled the subjects to read the passage in significantly less time than the printed dictionary. It was also found that the subjects looked up significantly more words in the CD-ROM dictionary than in the printed dictionary. However, the results indicate that the type of dictionary does not significantly influence comprehension, and that no correlation exists between the subjects’ lookup frequencies and their reading scores in PD and CD conditions. With regard to vocabulary retention, the findings revealed that printed dictionary lookup fosters better recall of vocabulary. It was concluded that CD-ROM dictionaries would be effective and motivating aids to reading comprehension but could be less effective to vocabulary retention.