Implications of Multiple Dictionary Meanings of Adjectives on Reading Comprehension of ESL Learners: A Study Conducted at BS Level in Rahim Yar Khan

Abstract

This study investigates how multiple dictionary meanings of English adjectives affect BS-level ESL learners’ reading of academic texts in Pakistan. In classes where English is used for study, students often attach a familiar everyday sense to an adjective even when the paragraph signals a different meaning, which weakens comprehension. The study examines how learners decide on adjective meanings while reading whether they rely on context, dictionaries, or both, and which approach supports clearer reading. A quantitative survey was conducted with 300 BS students from three institutes in Rahim Yar Khan. A 30-item Likert-scale questionnaire recorded reading habits, strategy order, adjective confusions, and confidence in understanding. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics (frequencies and percentages). Results show that most students combine context clues with dictionary consultation, but the sequence matters. Learners who first read the sentence and paragraph and then confirm their guess in a learner’s dictionary report fewer wrong choices and less disruption to reading flow than those who start from dictionary entries. Confusion is greatest where everyday meanings clash with academic or technical uses and with stance-setting adjectives such as “negligible” effect or “robust” method. The study recommends training students to “infer from context, then verify in the dictionary,” using example lines and frequent adjective–noun collocations, so that they move beyond one-meaning-per-word habits toward more flexible, context-based understanding.