The Effectiveness of Using Online Dictionary in Improving EFL Students’ English Sentence Stress Pronunciation

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the effects of using an online dictionary on
improving EFL students’ English sentence stress pronunciation and to
explore the levels of their attitudes towards using online dictionary. The
samples were 30 Business English major students enrolled in a Linguistics
Course in the first semester of the 2018 academic year1, selected via simple
random sampling. This research design was based on Pre-Experimental
Design: One-Shot Case Study and Survey Design. The instruments were 1)
an online dictionary 2) an English sentence stress pronunciation practice, 3)
an English sentence stress pronunciation test (post-test), and 4) a
questionnaire. The statistics were percentage, mean, and standard deviation.

The results revealed that:
1) Results of the post-test were found that 28 EFL students got the average
scores from 53 to 72 of 3 (50 -79%), indicating the proficiency in their
English sentence stress pronunciationat a moderate level, compared to their
pronunciation problems at “moderate” level, while two EFL students got the
average scores from 45 to 48 of 2 (30 -49%), indicating the proficiency in
their English sentence stress pronunciationat “low” level, compared to their
pronunciation problems at “high” level.
2) Levels of their attitudes towards using online dictionary were overall
found at the “uncertain” level (3.41).Considering each component, the
cognitive component was first ranked at the “uncertain” level
(3.42),followed by the behaviour component at the “uncertain” level (3.41),
and the affective component at the “uncertain” level (3.40) respectively.