Research on Dictionary Use in Teaching Languages (Findings of the Survey Conducted with School Teachers)

Abstract

This article presents the findings of a study examining the use of dictionaries in teaching both Georgian and foreign languages in schools. The research involved teachers of Georgian and several foreign languages -including English, German, French, Spanish, and Russian - working in public schools in Tbilisi. Research on dictionary use dates back to the 1960s, with numerous international studies highlighting persistent challenges and shortcomings in dictionary utilisation (Barnhart, 1962; Quirk, 1973). Many scholars have concluded that the culture of dictionary use is in decline, a trend that carries negative pedagogical and linguistic implications (Gouws, 2022). Georgia mirrors this global trend. Studies conducted within the country have revealed that many users lack fundamental dictionary skills, which has contributed to the growing influence of English on the Georgian language, including the spread of English-derived barbarisms and calques (Margalitadze, 2020). Drawing on the author’s experience as a public-school English teacher, this study arises from recognising these challenges. Informal discussions with colleagues prompted the development of a survey for language teachers to understand their perspectives on fostering dictionary-use skills and identify factors contributing to the decline in dictionary literacy. The study employs the methodology developed by Hungarian researcher P. Márkus, who investigated dictionary use among Hungarian students and teacher trainees of English and German (P. Márkus et al., 2023). For this research, Márkus’s questionnaire was translated into Georgian and adapted to reflect the specific context of Georgian schools and the challenges unique to dictionary use in Georgia. Consequently, this study represents one of the first systematic attempts to examine dictionary use in language teaching in Georgian schools.