Exploring Dictionary Preferences: A Comparative Study of EFL and GFL Learners in Hungarian Higher Education

Abstract

This paper examines the usage patterns of monolingual and bilingual dictionaries among English as a Foreign Language (EFL) and German as a Foreign Language (GFL) learners within the Hungarian higher education context. Despite the prevalent communicative approach in language teaching that often discourages dictionary use in favour of context-based learning, dictionaries are still important resources in acquiring and understanding linguistic nuances and terminology, especially in academic and business settings. Utilizing the quantitative research paradigm, this study gathered data from 371 university students, focusing on their preferences for specific dictionaries and exploring the relationship between their willingness to use these dictionaries and actual usage behaviours. The findings reveal that while EFL learners prefer renowned English monolingual dictionaries, such as Oxford and Cambridge, their willingness to use dictionaries does not necessarily correlate strongly with the frequency of use, suggesting other motivational or contextual influences at play. On the other hand, GFL learners displayed a lower overall engagement with both monolingual and bilingual dictionaries, underscoring potential differences in educational strategies or lower reliance on dictionaries. Keywords: EFL and GFL learners, dictionary preferences, dictionary use habits, higher education, language pedagogy