Does Look-up Frequency Help Reading Comprehension of EFL Learners? Two Empirical Studies of Electronic Dictionaries

Two empirical studies were conducted in which the differences in Japanese EFL learners’ look-up behavior between hand-held electronic dictionaries (EDs) and printed dictionaries (PDs) were investigated. We focus here on the relation between learners’ look-up frequency and degree of reading comprehension of the text. In the first study, a total of 34 college students were divided into two groups. Each group was assigned a reading task with a quiz under two conditions: ED and PD. The frequency of looked-ups, the time the students needed for the task, and the quiz scores in each condition were statistically examined. The results showed: (a) the subjects in the ED condition looked up more words to comprehend the texts in a shorter period of time than those in the PD group and (b) no significant difference in the quiz scores between the groups. To further investigate these results under different conditions, a second study was performed with 31 university students whose English proficiency levels were higher than those in the first study. Despite the fact that the subjects and the text used in the second study were different, the results of the second study corresponded to the first. These findings indicate that, although EDs might enhance EFL learners’ look-up behaviors, the increased look-up frequency does not necessarily ensure improvement in learners’ reading comprehension. Some pedagogical implications are suggested based on the findings.