How do Galician college students use dictionaries today?

Carlos Valcárcel Riveiro

The UsoDEU questionnaire as a data collection tool

PORTLEX

How to assess the needs of dictionary users?

There is still a great need of data on dictionary usersLexicographers often must intuit users’ needs and expectations

❖ Surveys (Hartmann)

❖ Log files analysis (Kemmer)

❖ Simultaneous Feedback (de Schryver)

Surveys as data collection tools

The most common method of data collection

There are great differences on certain points:

❖ Number and type of respondents

❖ Established goals

❖ Asked questions / items

The UsoDEU questionnaire

Uso de Dicionários por parte de Estudantes Universitários

Main goal:To design a questionnaire to obtain, within the context of the European Higher Education Area, empirical data on the use that students make of the main types of dictionaries available, and, in particular, of electronic dictionaries online.

Mª José Domínguez (USC) & Carlos Valcárcel (Uvigo)

Why to focus on students' use of dictionaries?

★ Students are more accessible… and we are teachers!

★ They readily adopt new trends

★ They represent a very important segment in the lexicographic market

UsoDEU deployment strategy

1 Selection and study of reference worksDomínguez & Mirazo & Vidal, 2013Al-Salami & Hattab, 2008Ekwa Ebanéga & Moussavou, 2008Hartmann, 1999 Maridé & Pihler, 2004 Ripfel, 1989Tu, 2000Wiegand’s work

2 Questionnaire design

3 Small-scale pilot study

4 Data analysis and questionnaire redesign

5 Large-scale implementation

Current phase

Questionnaire design

Questionnaire items are arranged in four thematic blocks:

1 Personal data and academic information

2 Linguistic repertoire: communication proficiency in different languages (B2 level / Common European Framework of Reference for Languages)

3 Internet use patterns (connection time, connection devices, connection point, connection purposes)

4 Dictionary use patterns

❖ Use of paper, cd-rom and online dictionaries❖ Use purposes❖ Consultation point❖ Satisfaction degree❖ Interactions with:

❏ dictionary staff❏ other dictionary users❏ dictionary content

Pilot study

Where?

Data must be undertaken with caution

Campus of PontevedraUniversity of Vigo

When?

May 2013Within 30 days

Universe

3931 students

How?

Online surveyUnipark

Survey sample

171 students

Statistical reliability

Margin of error (high) ± 7.3% Confidence interval of 95%.

Presentation of the main data collected

Domínguez, M.J. & Valcárcel, C. (2014): "Hábitos de uso de los diccionarios entre los estudiantes universitarios europeos: ¿nuevas tendencias?", in Domínguez M.J., Gómez X. & Valcárcel, C. (eds.): Lexicografía de las lenguas románicas II. Aproximaciones a la lexicografía contemporánea y contrastiva. Berlin, De Gruyter.

PORTLEX

To be published:

Within the framework of:

Description of some data collected

1. Frequency of use per dictionary format

Description of some data collected

2. Main reasons for choosing online dictionaries

Description of some data collected

3. Uses of online and paper dictionaries

Description of some data collected

4. Satisfaction degree with online and paper dictionaries

How often do you find the information you need in a dictionary?

Description of some data collected

5. What students do when they don’t find the information in a dictionary?

Main conclusions

❖ Some items of the UsoDEU questionnaire must be redefined (e.g. user interaction and participation)

❖ The pilot survey reveals profound changes in the patterns of dictionary use:

● Widespread use of online dictionaries via laptops and smartphones

● CD-ROM dictionaries have become obsolete

● The use of paper dictionaries is currently decreasing

● App versions of online dictionaries have a great potential in the near future

● Authority concept could be being reformulated within the context of Web 2.0 (digital reputation / brand reputation)

❖ Should a teaching of dictionary use be integrated in digital skills acquisition?