Dictionary Culture among Students of English: A Case Study

A dictionary is an indispensable instrument in foreign language learning. it is the primary reliable source which learners refer to. dictionaries inform about not only meaning of the word but also spelling, pronunciation, etymology, synonyms, grammar and usage. they play a crucial role in improving vocabulary knowledge. as for dictionary consultation, it is of importance for learners of today’s language english. the problem is the fact that learners of english are deficient in dictionary consultation and that they are not aware of the richness in dictionaries. in addition, there is little study on reference needs and skills of dictionary users. this study investigates quantitatively the needs and habits, i.e. the dictionary behaviours and culture of turkish students majoring in english language and literature in using english dictionaries. the findings and results show that students prefer monolingual and bilingual dictionaries to other types of dictionaries and that they generally benefit from the information contained in the appendices. however, most of the participants find dictionaries insufficient. in addition, according to the study findings, it can be claimed that age, gender and level of study are not effective factors on the students’ culture of dictionary use.