Should ESL Students Use Translation Dictionaries in English Class?
March 17, 2010 | ama83 If a student is taking an English class, should he or she be allowed to use an electronic dictionary? English classes are meant to improve students’ abilities to write and read in English. In a sense, students are learning to master the language. This does not mean that only English speakers benefit from these classes. However, if a student cannot speak or write at the English class’s proper level, I’m just not so sure that translating dictionaries are an ethical tool to use in class. There are certain classes that would be appropriate for using translating dictionaries. Science or history classes could be acceptable or even in lower level English classes, where students are learning to speak English… initially, anyway. Once students reach a level where they are expected to write and talk completely in English, perhaps it is no longer appropriate to use the mechanical dictionary. On one hand, the translating dictionary could help ESL (English as a Second Language
If a student is taking an English class, should he or she be allowed to use an electronic dictionary? English classes are meant to improve students’ abilities to write and read in English. In a sense, students are learning to master the language. This does not mean that only English speakers benefit from these classes. However, if a student cannot speak or write at the English class’s proper level, I’m just not so sure that translating dictionaries are an ethical tool to use in class. There are certain classes that would be appropriate for using translating dictionaries. Science or history classes could be acceptable or even in lower level English classes, where students are learning to speak English… initially, anyway. Once students reach a level where they are expected to write and talk completely in English, perhaps it is no longer appropriate to use the mechanical dictionary. On one hand, the translating dictionary could help ESL (English as a Second Language) students progress in
