On the Effective Work Group versus Individual Use of Monolingual Dictionary - Research Proposal Example

Proposal on the Effective Work Group vs. Individual Use of Monolingual Dictionary Name Date Course Abstract Research proposal intends to determine the effectiveness of using the monolingual dictionary in terms of essay writing between individuals working on their own and a group of students. This is due to the importance that is associated with the use of the monolingual dictionary during the learning process of the English language. According to the literature review, the use of the monolingual dictionary is challenging to students when they are working individually as compared to working in a group. On the other hand, the use of vocabularies plays an important role in terms of determining the level of understanding of the English language. Individuals always reencounter difficulties when it comes to the use of the vocabularies as the search for the vocabularies is a complex process. However in terms of group work, the use of vocabularies is enhanced due to the contributions of different members of the group. This improves the quality of the easy that has been written by the students in a group as compared to the students working individually. The essay written by the students in a group also has high levels of correct strategies as compared to the essays that have been written individually by the students. The ethics during research also plays an important role and it will be observed during the research for the purposes of increasing credibility as well as the accuracy of the data. The data collection methods during the research will involve both the primary and secondary sources so as to obtain accurate results regarding the use of monolingual dictionary during essay writing. The research is important in terms of determining the best method of teaching the learners essay writing using the English language. The policy change in terms of writing the essays using the English language among the students will also be impacted positively through the use of the results and findings from the research. Proposal on the Effective Work Group vs. Individual Use of Monolingual Dictionary Introduction The essay writing process is essential for the learners of the English language. This is because it improves their skills as well as their expertise in terms of the using the English language. The monolingual dictionaries are useful to the learners of the English language as they are specifically used for a certain targeted native group (Chan, 2012). This dictionary is important in terms of providing simple definitions that enables the learners to understand the English language easily. Vocabularies are also available and they are useful to the learner during the essay writing process. Writing an easy individually and as a group may differ in terms of using the monolingual dictionaries. The individuals writing an easy using the monolingual dictionary may focus on certain areas alone as compared to the group writing the same essay. However, the individuals may perform better as compared to a group when writing an easy using the monolingual dictionary. This may be due to the levels of concentration that is associated with the individuals during the easy writing process. Writing an easy as a group has sometimes proved to be effective as the members always consult each other. This may also be applicable to the learners of the English language using the monolingual dictionary. In some access the students in a group could all be experienced in the concepts of the English language and hence improving on their performance in terms of using the monolingual dictionary to write the essay. This may also be the same for an individual student and hence affecting the outcome of the essay. The proposal thus focuses on the comparison in terms of effectiveness between individuals and groups in terms of essay writing using a monolingual dictionary. Preliminary Literature Review According to most of the English language learners, the use of monolingual dictionary is important during the easy writing as it has positive impacts on the use of vocabularies. Chan (2012) notes that most learners believe that writing an essay as a group is more effective while using the monolingual dictionary as compared to writing an essay as an individual. Using the monolingual dictionary is also easier in a group during the essay writing as compared to individual efforts. This is because the each member of a group will come up with different ideas regarding the use of the monolingual dictionary and hence simplifying the use. According to Hanks, (2010), it also ensures that the group members learn from the other members of the group regarding the use of the dictionary and hence simplifying the essay writing process. In terms of individuals, it may take a lot of time before one id able to fully utilize the monolingual dictionary. According to Hanks (2010), this is also because of the bulkiness of the dictionary which presents a challenge to the individuals to select the words and vocabularies to be used during the essay writing. Due to lack of consultations, the individuals always encounter problems in terms of using the dictionary and may find it difficult to solve and hence impacting negatively on the use of the monolingual dictionary during the easy writing. The time taken for the individuals and groups to complete the task also differs when using the monolingual dictionary and it is also related to efficiency (Gouws, 2010). Gathering new vocabulary is a complex process for the English language learners and it may take a considerable time during the essay writing process. In terms of an individual, the process is quite complicated and time consuming. This is because an individual always finds it difficult to go through the entire dictionary in search of the vocabularies. This also reduces the number of vocabularies that are used by the individuals during the essay writing process. The effectiveness of the essay is thus reduced due to the lack of a high number of vocabularies. According to Nava, (2010), the use of vocabularies also plays an important role in terms of increasing the quality of the essay as it determines the level of understanding of the language. In terms of group work, gathering the vocabularies is much simple as each member of the group plays a different part in terms of gathering the vocabularies. The process becomes effective as each member of a group may come up with a different vocabulary that is useful in the essay and hence improving the effectiveness of the essay writing process. It is also important to note that in a group, each member usually has a different experience in terms of the use and gathering of the vocabularies. The combination of their experiences therefore plays an important role in terms of ensuring that the essay is writing process has been simplified. The process of gathering vocabularies is thus effective within a group as compared to the individuals (East, 2013). During the essay writing, keeping the correct strategy is important as it improves the effectiveness of the essay. This has a potential of ensuring that the quality of the essay is high. Keeping the correct strategies is usually difficult for the individuals using the monolingual dictionary. This is because as the complexity increases, the individuals easily loose the strategies and hence leading to a poor quality of essay (Laufer, 2012). However, the situation is different when it comes to a group using the monolingual dictionary. Keeping the strategy is much easier and hence leading to a high quality essay. This is because the consultation process among the individuals ensures that t group is able to stick to the strategies and hence leading o the efficiency. The group members also play an important role in terms of correcting one another and hence ensuring that the strategies are maintained. Understanding a re-reading passage and rewriting it can b quite challenging to the individuals. This is because complex terms may be required during the rewriting process. It may take a lot of time for the terms to be ought in the monolingual dictionary. However, the situation is different when it comes to the group as it only takes a shorter time read and rewrite a passage due to the contributions of different members. It is thus important to note that the process of rewriting a passage with the use of a monolingual dictionary is impacted positively by the group work activities (Eslami, 2013). Svensén (2009) argues that the experience of the learners who work individually and as a group is also different. The group members usually gain new knowledge and experience in terms of using the monolingual dictionary. This is because of the consultations and new ideas that are brought about by the new members within a group. The learning experience is also improved which enhances the effectiveness of the learners in terms of using the monolingual language. The situation is however different for the individuals working on their own. Svensén, (2009) argues that the individuals working on their own cannot gain any new knowledge and experience and hence affecting their effectiveness and learning abilities in terms of using the monolingual dictionary. The group members are always on a better position in terms of rewriting a passage using the monolingual dictionary as compared to the group members. The quality of the rewritten passage is usually high when it comes to the group as compared to the individuals. This is because of the proper use of vocabularies among the group members as compared to the individuals. The ability of the group to complete the task on time is also high as compared to the individuals. This is because the group members will easily go through the monolingual dictionary in terms of finding words and definitions and hence enhancing their effectiveness and speed. The individuals are however at a disadvantage in terms using the monolingual dictionary to in terms of finding the new words and definitions and hence reducing the quality of the essay (Hamilton, 2012). Methodology The data collection process will involve different methods for the purposes of finding conclusive information regarding the study. The primary sources of data will be collected through conducting interviews with the students and filling of the questionnaires. The secondary data will be obtained through the literature review. This will involve searching for information on books and journals which are relevant to the topic. In addition to that, online sources of will also be utilized during the data collection process. This will involve the use of the published articles that are found online. During the data collection from the secondary sources, only the data that is relevant to the use of monolingual dictionary during easy writing will be utilized. Current reports and news that are pertinent to the use of the monolingual dictionary during the essay writing will also be used. The sources of data will also be analyzed to ensure that they are credible. Only the recent articles regarding the use of the monolingual dictionary will be used with an aim of increasing the quality of the data as the recent articles are more accurate with regards to the current use of the monolingual dictionary. All the books and journals used will also have to be analyzed critically so as to ensue that they are credible sources and the data presented is accurate. The use of interviews will form an important part during the data collection process. This will involve interviewing the students who are using the monolingual dictionary the purposes of writing and rewriting essays. The students who work in a group during the essay writing and rewriting will be interviewed personally regarding their experience and knowledge gained. The students who worked individually during the rewriting of the essay using the monolingual dictionary will also be interviews so as to obtain data regarding their experience. The data collected from the students during the interview will then be compared for the purposes of analysis. On the other hand, the questionnaires will also be used for the purposes of collecting data during the research. The questionnaires will be issued to each of the participants who will all be students. Each of the students will be required to fill the questionnaires at their own time and individually. The questionnaires will be based on the use of the monolingual dictionary and the knowledge that the students have gained during the essay writing process. The participants during the interview and questionnaire will be composed of students who are between the ages of 18 and 23. A total of 150 students from the same college at the same level will be used during the data collection process using the interview and questionnaire method. The high number of students used will be for the purposes of ensuring that the data collected is accurate and reflective of the situation in the college with regards to the use of the monolingual dictionary. Ethical Considerations Ethical considerations will be highly regarded during the research so as to ensure credibility and accuracy. Plagiarism will be avoided during the research for the purposes of ethics and credibility of the research. Referencing will be done on all the information that will be collected from the secondary sources. This is for the purposes of crediting the authors of the secondary sources. The exact words of the authors in the secondary sources will not be used but own words will be used during the research and it will also play an important role in terms of eliminating plagiarism. During the data collection, ethical considerations will be highly regarded. The interviews will be conducted in an ethical manner and no leading question will be used. This is because the leading questions have the potential of influencing the answers of the participants. This will also be applicable in the questionnaires and this will ensure that accurate results are obtained during the process. Neutrality will also be maintained during the analysis of the data so as to ensure that the results is a reflection of the data collected from both the primary and secondary sources. The credibility of the research will thus be impacted positively by the ethical considerations. Importance of the Research The research is important in terms of determining the effectiveness in terms of using the monolingual dictionary during the essay writing and rewriting process. This is because of the difficulties that the students are faced with in terms of using the monolingual dictionary. The research will also be important in terms of highlighting the challenges that the students are usually faced with during the essay writing when using the monolingual dictionary. On the other hand, the research will establish the efficiency between the individual use of the monolingual dictionary in easy writing and also when dealing with a group. The results of the research will play an important role in terms of influencing the change with regard to the use of monolingual dictionary. The policies regarding the use of the monolingual dictionary during teaching and learning process will also be influenced by the findings of and results of the research. Effective methods that can be used by the students during the writing of essays using the monolingual dictionary will also be established through the use of the results and hence influencing the learning experience of the students. The research is thus important in the educational field and the learning of the English language. List of References Chan, A, 2012, Cantonese ESL learners’ use of grammatical information in a monolingual dictionary for determining the correct use of a target word, International Journal of Lexicography, 25(1), 68-94. Hanks, P, 2010, Compiling a monolingual dictionary for native speakers, Lexikos, 20(1), 580-598. Gouws, R, 2010, The monolingual specialised dictionary for learners, Specialised Dictionaries for Learners. Berlin: De Gruyter, 55-68. Nava, A, 2012, Individual Differences in Dictionary Strategy Use. In New Perspectives on Individual Differences in Language Learning and Teaching (pp. 319-334), Springer Berlin Heidelberg. East, M, 2013, The Dictionary as a Tool in Language Learning, The Encyclopedia of Applied Linguistics. Laufer, B, 2011, The contribution of dictionary use to the production and retention of collocations in a second language, International Journal of Lexicography, 24(1), 29-49. Eslami, Z, 2013, The Use of Dictionary and Contextual Guessing Strategies for Vocabulary Learning by Advanced English-Language Learners, English Language and Literature Studies, 3(3), p1. Svensén, B 2009, A handbook of lexicography: the theory and practice of dictionary-making. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Hamilton, H, 2012, The Efficacy of Dictionary Use While Reading for Learning New Words, American annals of the deaf, 157(4), 358-372. Read More