5. Asialex8_Proceedings_Abstracts and Poster

Junior Secondary English Language Textbooks as Resource for Dictionary Skills
Training: A Hong Kong Case Study
Wai-on Law, PolyU HKCC (West Kowloon Campus)
Abstract
The skills and habit of the use of reference tools is instrumental to self-learning of a language,
and should be trained as early as possible. However, dictionary use research has
overwhelmingly found that the training of dictionary use has been in neglect for decades.
English teachers of the foreign language classroom, who have little prior training themselves,
spare little time, with little ready-made material, for students in this area. There is no wonder
that the vicious cycle continues. With a focus on the training resource on the secondary level,
this study aims to examine the effectiveness of dictionary skills training design in English
language textbooks in Hong Kong based on the guidelines set by the government, and make
recommendations with a sample textbook chapter. It is hoped that it could shed light on
lexicographical pedagogy, and draw the attention of all stakeholders concerned, be they
teachers, textbook publishers, lexicographical researchers, and the government, to improve the
situation.
Keywords: dictionary skills training; secondary English language textbooks; Hong Kong
ASIALEX Proceedings 2013 - 344
Improving the accuracy of estimates in dictionary text research through selecting
appropriate sampling techniques
Agnieszka Anuszka Bukowska, Adam Mickiewicz University
Abstract
Methods of selecting a sample of dictionary text, even though often disregarded by the
researchers themselves and rarely emerging as a subject of methodological discussion,
constitute an important part of dictionary text research and dictionary reviewing. In my previous
research I have shown that most of the sampling schemes employed in metalexicography yield
unreliable results. However, my research so far has been restricted to sampling a paper
dictionary by selecting pages. This restriction resulted in low-precision estimates in smaller
dictionaries and in studying rare features. Additionally, the number of entries per page varies
greatly and this introduces an unavoidable bias to the estimates. Therefore, the present piece of
research constitutes an attempt at circumventing this difficulty by selecting entries directly
instead of clustering them into pages. Two schemes will be examined: one in which we assume
that a complete list of entries from a given dictionary is available, and another in which an
external word list is used (e.g. from a corpus). In many cases a list of entries might not be
available or easily derivable, nevertheless the former approach offers much more reliability. The
latter approach, while practical, runs the risk of insufficient overlap between this very list and
the sampled dictionary.
Keywords: sampling, simple random sampling, metalexicography
ASIALEX Proceedings 2013 - 345
What koalas eat for brekkie: The need for an Australian cultural dictionary
Julia Miller, University of Adelaide
Deny A. Kwary, Airlangga University
Abstract
Many terms commonly used in Australia may be inadequately covered in commercial
dictionaries or inaccurately addressed in popular websites such as Urban Dictionary or
Wikipedia, which are often students’ first point of reference. In a questionnaire administered to
270 international students newly arrived at an Australian university, the students highlighted
many terms as problematic, in particular brekkie, koala and Royal Adelaide Show. The word
brekkie is a common abbreviation for breakfast, but is not listed in any of the major learner’s
dictionaries, appearing only in the Macquarie Dictionary. Similarly, the word koala is defined
in learner’s dictionaries but users may still be in doubt about the creature’s size, or the fact that
it is a marsupial. The Urban Dictionary website includes an alarming and false second
definition, ‘A bloodthirsty mammal that will drop out of trees and rip your head off’, which may
entertain locals but only confuses visitors to the country. No dictionary includes the culturally
important Royal Adelaide Show. More respondents listed friends or the internet as their most
common sources of information (43%), rather than dictionaries (36%) or books on Australian
culture (15%).
A second questionnaire was then developed comparing existing dictionary entries for the terms
koala (Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary online), brekkie (Macquarie Dictionary) and
Royal Adelaide Show (based on the entry for show in Cambridge Advanced Learner’s
Dictionary online) with two possible entries in a proposed Australian cultural dictionary. These
entries included pictures, parts of speech and example sentences (version 1), together with
historical and more encyclopaedic information (version 2). The second questionnaire was given
to a group of international students (n=337), the majority of whom (75%) preferred the more
comprehensive entries (version 2) rather than the current dictionary entries. There thus appears
to be a definite need for a reliable and comprehensive Australian cultural dictionary for English
language learners in Australia.
Keywords: language learning, dictionary, cultural, Australia, English
ASIALEX Proceedings 2013 - 346
Teaching and Learning of Tamil Language through Corpus Bank in Singapore
Seetha Lakshmi, National Institute of Education, Singapore
Abstract
Bilingualism is an historical educational feature of Singapore’s Educational History. Every
student has to go through English medium education for first language and respective mother
tongue language medium education for the second language learning (Gopinathan S., 1994).
Among the Indian communities, Tamils form the majority and Tamil is one of the official
languages of Singapore. As Tamil language is a diglossia language, students are expected to
study and converse in Standard Spoken Tamil (Schiffman H F., 2002) and Written Tamil. As
the Standard Spoken Tamil is paving bridge to the Written Tamil, more emphasis is given to it.
Systematic research studies have an enormous corpus data from classroom recordings and
transcription. For a minority community, the corpus bank data is a boon to know, learn and
understand the Standard Spoken Tamil in Singapore context. Classroom transcription from 10
early primary classes (CIEPSS OER47/08MS) will be created as lexical dictionary of teacher
talk and student talk in Tamil classrooms. This dictionary will be used to develop an
understanding of dichotomies of Spoken Tamil and Written Tamil in Singapore. The researcher
strongly believes that this would equip the students to understand the importance of Speaking
Standardised Spoken Tamil (Ramiah, 2001; Schiffman, 1999 & 2006) and the use the Tamil in
and out of their school lives and make it as a living language in Singapore. This paper will share
about the achievements and challenges of using Corpus bank in teaching and learning of Tamil
language in Singapore and developing Tamil students as Global citizens (2011).
Keywords: Corpus Bank, Standard Spoken Tamil, Pedagogy.
ASIALEX Proceedings 2013 - 347
Of ‘black sheep’, ‘scapegoat’, and kambing hitam: Using the online dictionary in a
semantic analysis of English loan words.
Jeannet Stephen, Pusat Penataran Ilmu dan Bahasa, Universiti Malaysia Sabah
Abstract
Dictionaries have had to evolve in order to stay relevant in this information age. Having an
online presence is a strategic way of staying current and useful amongst users. Language
learners and language researchers benefit immensely from online dictionaries as distance is no
more an issue. Online dictionaries are more up to date as publishers can publish corrections
and/or additions to specific entries at real time. Interaction with the public / users on word
usages is encouraged. Lexicographers are also more accessible and have more accountability to
users. More importantly, learners from all parts of the world can get answers to their
vocabulary-related questions directly from the lexicographers. This study describes the findings
of a semantic analysis on English loan words in Malay which utilised the online dictionaries for
both Malay (Kamus Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka) and English (Oxford Dictionary of English).
The findings revealed some issues such as inconsistencies in terms of definitions of the loan
word and its Malay equivalent, inconsistent usages within Malay itself, the issue of providing
up to date information on the online dictionary for Malay, and the online interaction experience
with lexicographers over word queries in Kamus Dewan. Improvements on these issues will
help Malay learners of English, or vice versa, and have direct implications to teachers utilising
the online dictionaries in their teaching of English to Malay speakers.
Keywords: Malay lexicography, semantic analysis, English language learning, loan words
ASIALEX Proceedings 2013 - 348
Compiling a dictionary of English and Swedish football vocabulary.
Aspects of data collection, lexicographic tools and formal linguistic organization
Gunnar Bergh, University of Gothenburg
Sölve Ohlander, University of Gothenburg
Abstract
Football being the world's most popular sport, the language of football can be seen as the most
widespread of all "special languages" (cf. Sager et al. 1980). Despite this, relatively scant
scholarly attention has been paid to football language in this capacity (Lavric et al. 2008:5). A
comprehensive lexicographic project was therefore started a few years ago in order to chart the
central vocabulary and phraseology of this special language. The main aim of this work is the
compilation of a bilingual dictionary of English and Swedish football language, where collected
data are organized in a formal database and supplied with linguistic metadata, translation
equivalents, authentic examples, cross-references, etc.
The present paper gives a work-in-progress account of the methodological aspects of this
project. The first part features a description of (i) the means and principles of collecting football
language material, including some corpus-based approaches; (ii) the different lexicographic
tools employed, search applications as well as database software; and (iii) the formal
organization of the material, including the linguistic field structure applied in the dictionary. So
far, some 6 000 lexical entries, words as well as phrases, have been collected as a result of the
data mining process. The second part of the paper is devoted to a discussion of the general
framework for such lexicographic work. In particular, using a set of illuminating examples from
the vocabulary involved, it deals with issues of limitation, hierarchy and polysemy, as well as
important distinctions and recurrent problems in this context.
Keywords: football lexis, special language, bilingual dictionary, data collection, lexicographic
tools
ASIALEX Proceedings 2013 - 349
Dictionary n. Obsolete? Before and afterwords
Ilan Kernerman, K Dictionaries
Abstract
The dictionary we know as book of words is getting scarcer in print yet abundant in digital. The
process is not the same everywhere and to all, for example as print sales drop and go e-book in
the USA, e-dictionary in Japan or online in Germany (for free) or Denmark (per fee), they grow
in the Netherlands alongside apps or in Brazil as part of social and economic change.
Meanwhile dictionaries, or rather lexicographic content, also increasingly blend in broader
natural language processing settings and can lose their individual identity and disappear in
machine translation tools, language learning software, word processors, search engines, etc. The
main trends may be seen as:
•
from print to digital
•
from tangible to virtual (to invisible)
•
from a dictionary for life to many simultaneously
•
from one-size-fits-all to customized and personalized
•
from a language product to (multi-)language services
•
from paid to non-paid (to paid)
•
from private(ly-owned) to public(ly-funded/shared)
•
from (passive) reader to (interactive) user
•
from old to young
•
from content to technology
•
from words (to phrases and structures) to language
•
from dictionaries to lexicography/lexicology
As advances in linguistics and technology shift the attention from single words to complete
texts (written or oral) and affect the lexicographic creation, production, display, accessing and
processing, will changes in usage, users and their needs – and matching them – evolve the
dictionary from a traditional word product to futuristic full-language solutions embedded in new
forms and mediums?
Keywords: dictionary, print, digital, words, language, NLP
ASIALEX Proceedings 2013 - 350
Combining Forms in Persian Dictionaries
Saghar Sharifi, Islamic Azad Universiry, Karaj
Abstract
Combining forms, which are also called bound roots, are productive elements in Persian wordformation. However, in Persian grammar, these have been far from being treated as they should.
In this article, I have tried to draw a dividing line between these elements and affixes via
applying semantic and morphological criteria. Moreover, the part of speech of the words these
combining forms make and the structures in which they participate have been introduced here.
In the mean time, some Persian dictionaries, such as Modern Persian Dictionary and Sokhan
Dictionary, have been investigated in terms of treating these bound roots. Finally, it was
revealed that most Persian combining forms are absent as the main entries of the dictionaries
and a minority of them, such as verb stems, appear with a different part of speech. Offering a
more consistent and concrete method for treating them in Persian dictionaries is another
achievement of this article.
Keywords: morphology, word formation, Persian, combining forms, affixes.
ASIALEX Proceedings 2013 - 351
Why research regarding dictionary structures remains important
Rufus H. Gouws, Department of Afrikaans and Dutch, University of Stellenbosch
Abstract
A lexicographer's decision regarding the function(s) of an envisaged dictionary is followed by
decisions regarding the contents and the structures of that dictionary. Albeit that dictionary
structures might play a subordinate compared to the functions and the contents of a given
dictionary they remain important in the planning and compilation of any dictionary. Structures
represent a part of the packaging of the data to be included in a dictionary in order to satisfy the
envisaged functions. Proper packaging and rapid access to data help to ensure successful
dictionary use. This paper focuses on the need for continued research to enhance the quality of
dictionary structures. The data distribution structure, the article structure, microstructure,
various article-internal structures as well as the access and addressing structures are central to
the discussion. It is shown how the development and application of new structures, responding
to the needs and reference skills of the intended users of a dictionary, can contribute to better
consultation procedures. The emphasis is on printed dictionaries to be used in this information
age but various aspects of the structures discussed in this paper also apply to e-dictionaries.
Keywords: Dictionary Structures, User Needs, Data Packaging, Functions, Contents.
ASIALEX Proceedings 2013 - 352
Challenge to dictionaries as language learning resources:
the rise of corpora in EFL
Lan LI, Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Hsuehyun Huang, National Chin- Yi University of Technology
Abstract
The role of dictionary in language learning cannot be neglected. EFL users rely on dictionaries
for word meaning, pronunciation, grammar and usage. However, with the advancement of
modern technology, especially with open access to free online language corpora, the reliance on
dictionaries in foreign language study has been reduced particularly in productive use of
language. This paper discusses how corpora can be used directly in language learning, taking
the role of dictionaries. It also reports a survey conducted in two universities in Hong Kong and
Taiwan to compare student use of corpus and dictionary in language learning. The major
difference students claimed is that using corpus is an active learning process while using
dictionary is mostly passive. The author argues that with corpus data imbedded in electronic
dictionaries, the design of examples in a word entry can be revamped and corpus use in second
language writing will be more welcomed than using dictionaries.
Keywords: dictionary, corpus, reference, active use, passive use.
ASIALEX Proceedings 2013 - 353
Metacognitive Regulation in Adult Vocabulary Acquisition
Ahmad Azman Mokhtar, Universiti Utara Malaysia
Rafizah Mohd Rawian, Universiti Teknologi MARA Perlis
Abstract
This study examines the relationship between metacognitive regulation and the acquisition of
passive vocabulary knowledge among Malaysian adult ESL learners. Metacognitive regulation
involves decisions about planning, monitoring, or/and evaluating the best ways to acquire
English vocabulary. Two entities make up metacognitive regulation in this study namely
selective attention such as making notes of words which seem important, and self-initiation such
as reading other English reading materials besides textbooks to expand one’s vocabulary
knowledge. The metacognitive regulation level of the ESL learners is analyzed using the
Vocabulary Learning Questionnaire. Simultaneously, their passive vocabulary knowledge is
assessed using the Vocabulary Levels Test. Passive vocabulary knowledge is usually defined as
what one needs to know about a word in order to use it in reading and listening. 360 university
students aged between 18 to 21 years old were involved. Though metacognitive regulation is not
that preferred by the respondents, it positively and significantly correlates with passive
vocabulary knowledge. Further discussion focuses on the significance of metacognitive
regulation in vocabulary acquisition. This paper concludes with a discussion on the pedagogical
implications of these results.
Keywords: Metacognitive regulation, Selective attention, Self-initiation, Passive vocabulary
knowledge.
ASIALEX Proceedings 2013 - 354
Problems of Productive EFL Dictionaries
Shigeru Yamada, Waseda University
Abstract
The productive EFL dictionary refers to synonym dictionaries (e.g., Longman Language
Activator and Oxford Learner’s Thesaurus) and collocation dictionaries (e.g., BBI Dictionary of
English Word Combinations, Oxford Collocations Dictionary, and Macmillan Collocations
Dictionary). These dictionaries are specifically intended to help learners in their production of
English, while general EFL dictionaries are meant to provide help with reception and
production. Productive EFL dictionaries supplements general ones with the information to be
used for production: synonym dictionaries with semantic information and collocation ones with
syntagmatic. However, productive EFL dictionaries have serious weaknesses. Main problems
include limited coverage (both in quality and quantity) and lack or insufficiency of elucidation
and discrimination. This paper considers these problems and explores possible solutions in the
electronic medium where space limitation is less of an issue than in paper dictionaries.
Keywords: productive EFL dictionary, synonym dictionary, collocation dictionary
ASIALEX Proceedings 2013 - 355
Putting Lexicographic Relevance Approach into Practice:
The case of Malay verbs of saying
Fadilah Jasmani, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka Malaysia
Rusmadi Baharudin, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka Malaysia
Abstract
Lexicographic relevance is at the heart of good lexicography and becomes a hot topic with the
development of text corpus (Atkins 2006, 2008). With the vast amount of corpus evidence, the
mysteries of meaning in language are unravelled, the ways the word are used in context are
easily recognised from their patterns. Hence, many monolingual and, especially, learner’s
dictionaries have applied corpus-based techniques for representation of word uses by identifying
their essential components, and noting the way in which they are grammatically and lexically
realized in the corpus.
Applying the principle of lexicographic relevance as laid down by Atkins (2003, 2008), in this
paper, four Malay near-synonymous verbs of saying, i.e bercakap, berkata, berbicara and
bertutur will serve as a small case study. We examine their treatments in the Kamus Dewan (a
monolingual dictionay for native speakers) and Kamus Pelajar (a learner’s monolingual
dictionary). We then look at the ways these verbs behave in our corpus data taken from the
Malay Bank. Finally, we identify and select the individual lexicographically relevant items of
these words that need to be recorded in the dictionary entries.
Keywords: lexicographic relevance, dictionary entry, Malay verbs of saying, corpus
lexicography
ASIALEX Proceedings 2013 - 356
Describing the relation between main entries and subentries: The
case of compound words included in a Japanese-English dictionary
Ryo Murayama, the University of Tokyo
Abstract
When compiling a dictionary, editors need to set criteria for determining which headwords
should be used for composing the main entries of the dictionary, and which should be inserted
as nested entries subordinate to the main entries. The relationship between the main entries and
subentries constructed by such criteria directly affects the quality and usability of a dictionary
and is thus important at the practical level. It is also of interest to researchers wishing to clarify
and describe a dictionary’s overall structure from the lexicographical viewpoint, as opposed to
the linguistic or terminological viewpoints. As part of this process, editors need to decide
whether to insert compound words as main entries or to adopt a nesting strategy. If they adopt a
nesting strategy, they must decide which constituent of compound words (the first constituent,
or another constituent) should be used as the parent entry. An investigation of major JapaneseEnglish dictionaries published in Japan shows that most of them adopt a nesting strategy for
compound words, although there are variations in the strategy in terms of whether compound
words are listed under their first constituent, or whether they can be listed under another
constituent. This paper focuses on a dictionary which adopts the latter approach and attempts to
describe and classify the pattern of the arrangement of compounds from the viewpoint of 1) the
distribution of the type of subordination and 2) common features that can be observed among
subentries that share the same parent main entry.
Keywords: compound words, Japanese-English dictionary, macrostructure, microstructure.
ASIALEX Proceedings 2013 - 357
Teaching dictionary skills in game-oriented English classes in Japan
Takashi Kanazashi, College of Commerce, Nihon University
Abstract
It has been pointed out that dictionary skills should be taught in class. Dictionary critics often
find that the structure of the dictionary and some symbols in it are not transparent and thus
difficult for the users to understand, while English teachers in Japanese high schools and
universities find it difficult to set aside some time for dealing with dictionaries. Dictionaries
need to be more user-friendly, while teachers need more time to teach dictionary skills.
The present author has devoted some time in some English classes in universities in Japan to
teaching how to use monolingual English dictionaries. A questionnaire survey was conducted at
the beginning and the end of each course to determine the correlations between several factors:
(1) the duration of time spent on learning dictionary skills, (2) the students’ proficiency level,
(3) the type of English activities that the students were engaged in, (4) the students’ purpose of
learning English, and (5) the skill (among the four skills: reading, writing, listening, speaking)
that the students want to improve to a greater extent. In some classes the author taught English
through conversation games, and it may be interesting to see the peculiarity of such gameoriented classes in relation to the above-mentioned factors, with reference to how dictionary
skills (are expected to) help students play the games better.
Keywords: dictionary skills, game-oriented class, questionnaire
ASIALEX Proceedings 2013 - 358
Corpus-based dictionaries or ELF-oriented dictionaries?
Hirosada Iwasaki, University of Tsukuba
Abstract
Since the COBUILD revolution, most dictionaries have been using their own corpus data to
improve their contents. While this has brought in countless advantages such as updated
collocations, senses, word frequencies, and semantic contour, learners are often bombarded with
so much lexical information based on native speakers’ corpora.
This paper first makes a clear-cut distinction between native speakers’ English and English as a
lingua franca (ELF) for Kachru’s (1982) expanding circle. In order to avoid, or at least to lessen
linguistic and sociolinguistic inequality that arises when English is used as a global language
(Tsuda, 2002), it needs to be realized that learners should not pursue all the features of native
speakers’ language use.
Based on this, this paper claims that ELF dictionaries need to be established with specific ELF
features on grammar/usage, and opaque expressions. For example, exceptional grammar rules
should be minimized; therefore, instead of They caught three huge fish yesterday, They caught
three huge fishes yesterday is to be cited as an example in ELF dictionaries (to use fishes as a
default plural form). As for culture-dependent or opaque expressions such as kick the bucket,
ELF dictionaries should note that this expression be replaced with die in actual global
communication.
As a conclusion, this paper claims that learners in the expanding circle should target ELF for
their learning and English dictionaries as a learning tool should incorporate more of such ELF
features and lessen learning burden, instead of incorporating more and more of native speakers’
linguistic features.
Keywords: English as a lingua franca (ELF), native speakers’ corpora.
ASIALEX Proceedings 2013 - 359
Balance, Depth, Synergies –Assembling a Corpus for Documenting Ideal and
Reality in Lexis
Ruth Vatvedt Fjeld, University of Oslo
Rune Lain Knudsen, University of Oslo
LBK2013 is a corpus developed at the Institute of Linguistics and Nordic Studies (University of
Oslo) containing roughly 100 million words. The corpus is aimed towards research in
lexicography, and contains metadata regarding text categories, topics, ethnography and
bibliography, as well as morphological information supplied by the Oslo-Bergen tagger. This
poster will explain the advantages of using such a balanced, annotated corpus in this field of
research. Phenomena such as neologisms/anachronisms, usage of terms and lexical units across
time and ethnographic/demographic space, changes in grammatical patterns and/or semantic
properties for terms and lexical units, standardized language vs. actual usage, etc. are all
available as empirical evidence given careful consideration to the balance when assembling a
corpus. Furthermore, given the topical annotations, evidence useful for LSP-dictionaries can be
collected. We will present examples of such phenomena attained from some of the projects
involving LBK2013, as well as future plans for the corpus. Some of our future plans include
experimenting with establishing a connection between LBK2013 and other lexical resources
such as machine-readable dictionaries and wordnets, mainly in order to provide more
sophisticated tools for lexicographic research, but also to include the corpus in a network of
resources for use in computational linguistics and lexical semantics, hopefully enabling further
collaborations between these three scientific disciplines.
Keywords: Corpora, language standardization, lemma selection, grammar in lexicography.
ASIALEX Proceedings 2013 - 360
ASIALEX Proceedings 2013 - 361