Dina El-Dakhs

Dr. Dina El-Dakhs

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Academic Career Length

13Years (2014-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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1 November 2018 in Journal of English for Academic Purposes
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Journal Article
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DEDina El-Dakhs
Dina El-Dakhs
1 September 2020 in Applied Psycholinguistics
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Journal Article
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SSSuhad Sonbul
Suhad Sonbul
DEDina El-Dakhs
Dina El-Dakhs
Congruency (the availability of a direct first language translation) and level of proficiency have been reported among the most important determinants of second language collocation processing. However, only very few studies looked at the interaction between the two determinants, and none of these directly compared untimed collocation recognition assessed through traditional tests to timed recognition evident in psycholinguistic tasks. The current study administered both types of form recognition measures to 228 female Saudi English as a foreign language learners in two separate experiments: a traditional multiple-choice test (Experiment 1) and a timed acceptability judgment task (Experiment 2). Experiment 2 also tested 37 native speakers of English as a baseline for comparison. Congruency, estimated proficiency (vocabulary test scores), and the interaction between the two were evaluated as predictors of untimed and timed recognition through mixed-effects modeling. Results showed that congruency and estimated proficiency had a clear effect on untimed and timed recognition. More interesting, the effect of proficiency was clearer on timed recognition with a gradual decrease in the first language effect as proficiency increased getting closer to nativelike collocation processing. Results have implications for second language collocation learning and testing.
1 October 2024 in Contemporary Educational Technology
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Journal Article
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BOBurhan Ozfidan
Burhan Ozfidan
DEDina El-Dakhs
Dina El-Dakhs
LALama Adel Alsalim
Lama Adel Alsalim
This study explores Saudi undergraduate students’ perceptions of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in academic writing. Despite extensive research on AI in higher education, there is limited focus on academic writing, especially in the Saudi context. A survey of 189 students, proficient in English and enrolled in freshmen academic writing courses, was conducted. The students frequently used ChatGPT, Grammarly, and Google Translate. Exploratory factor analysis identified two factors: “instructional support of AI tools” and “instructional practices of AI tools,” explaining 55.302% of the variance. Descriptive analysis revealed strong student agreement on AI tools’ benefits, including idea generation, outline preparation, grammar and spell-check improvements, and time-saving. However, concerns about reliability, contextual accuracy, and ethical implications were noted. The study indicates the need for proper training and clear guidelines to make the most of AI in academic writing. The participants, in various responses, indicated how AI helps develop their writing accuracy and come up with new ideas although some participants worry about relying too much on technology. The study recommends that AI tools can be very helpful, but we need to use them thoughtfully to cater to different student experiences and concerns.
14 May 2019 in Journal of Psycholinguistic Research
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DEDina El-Dakhs
Dina El-Dakhs
JAJeanette Altarriba
Jeanette Altarriba
12 October 2018 in Language and Dialogue
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Journal Article
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DEDina El-Dakhs
Dina El-Dakhs
The current study adopts a variational pragmatic approach to compare the dialogic sequence of the directive speech act of request and its reaction of consent versus refusal in Egyptian and Saudi Arabic. To this end, 413 Egyptian and Saudi undergraduate students completed a Discourse Completion Task (DCT). Data analysis indicated more differences between Egyptian and Saudi Arabic in request consent strategies than refusal strategies. Among the noted differences in consent strategies were Egyptians’ stronger preference for direct strategies and elaborate responses than Saudis who displayed more varied combination patterns and exhibited stronger gender differences. In refusal strategies, however, a general similarity between Egyptians and Saudis was obvious at the level of strategies, combination patterns and the influence of social factors.
22 June 2022 in Studies in Second Language Acquisition
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Journal Article
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SSSuhad Sonbul
Suhad Sonbul
DEDina El-Dakhs
Dina El-Dakhs
KCKathy Conklin
Kathy Conklin
GCGareth Carrol
Gareth Carrol
Little is known about how nonnative speakers process novel language patterns in the input they encounter. The present study examines whether nonnatives develop a sensitivity to novel binomials and their ordering preference from context. Thirty-nine nonnative speakers of English (L1 Arabic) read three short stories seeded with existing binomials (black and white) and novel ones (bags and coats) while their eye movements were monitored. The existing binomials appeared once in their forward (conventional) form and once in their reversed form. The novel binomials appeared in their experimentally defined forward form in different frequency conditions (two vs. four encounters) and once in the reversed form. Results showed no advantage for existing binomials over their reversed forms. For the novel binomials, the nonnative speakers read subsequent encounters significantly faster than initial ones for both frequency conditions. More importantly, the final reversed form also led to faster reading, suggesting that L2 speakers process the reversed form of a novel binomial as another encounter, ignoring the established order.