The learner as lexicographer: using monolingual and bilingual corpora to deepen vocabulary knowledge

Abstract

Learning vocabulary is one of the most challenging tasks faced by learners with a non-kanji background when learning Japanese as a foreign language. However, learners are often not aware of the range of different aspects of word knowledge they need in order to successfully use Japanese. This includes not only the spoken and written form of a word and its meaning, but also morphological, grammatical, collocational, connotative and pragmatic knowledge as well as knowledge of social constraints to be observed. In this article, we present some background data on the use of dictionaries among students of Japanese at the University of Ljubljana, a selection of resources and a series of exercises developed with the following aims: a) to foster greater awareness of the different aspects of Japanese vocabulary, both from a monolingual and a contrastive perspective, b) to learn about tools and methods that can be applied in different contexts of language learning and language use, and c) to develop strategies for learning new vocabulary, reinforcing knowledge about known vocabulary, and effectively using this knowledge in receptive and productive language tasks.