High School Students' Dictionary Use as a Problem-solving Strategy : A Protocol Analysis of a Free Composition Task

Abstract

This study primarily aimed at investigating individual differences in dictionary use as a problem-solving strategy during a free English composition task written by Japanese high school students. The secondary aim was exploring the tendency of dictionary use corresponding to the writing-expertise of high school students. Sixteen high school student participants, who were previously divided into three writing-expertise groups (Advanced writers, Intermediate writers, and Basic writers), wrote a free English composition task consulting Japanese-English and English-Japanese dictionaries. Their dictionary use was interpreted through a stimulated recall protocol analysis, and all the uses were categorized into seven (mostly five) types using a data-class jfication method-the KJ method The categorized dictionary use was analyzedfrom several viewpoints. As a result, the individual differences in the dictionary use of the participants, and the tendency of dictionary use of the three writing-expertise groups, were revealed in detail. Moreover certain pedagogical implications for the instructions of dictionary use were suggested.