The effect of Naver Dictionary as a Korean learning medium: Focused on students’ ability to classify predicative word classes

Abstract

Mastery of word classes is fundamental to learning Korean grammar, because a word’s class determines how it inflects, which particles it takes, and how it functions in a sentence. Some words belong to more than one class depending on context. As a result, Korean language learners often misclassify words, which can lead to errors in sentence construction. One possible way to address this difficulty is to use a digital dictionary such as Naver Dictionary, which labels the word class of each entry and illustrates its use with example sentences. Classifying word classes is challenging for Korean language learners. One possible way to address this difficulty is to use a digital dictionary such as Naver Dictionary. This study examines learners’ ability to classify word classes and the extent to which their performance improves after Naver Dictionary is implemented as a classroom learning medium. The study used a quantitative, quasi-experimental one-group pre-test–post-test design involving 20 Korean Language Education students. The students’ post-test scores were higher than their pre-test scores. The mean score increased from 29.00 on the pre-test to 52.50 on the post-test, representing an increase of 23.50 points. The paired-samples t-test produced a t-value of 4.438, which was greater than the critical value of 2.093. The mean N-gain score was 30.10%, indicating a moderate level of improvement. The findings suggest that Naver Dictionary may support students’ ability to classify Korean word classes.