Electronic Dictionaries in Language Teaching

[Talia]

Hi all,

I just joined, my interest is mainly to get in contact with teachers. I am not a teacher, I am working for a translation software company (Babylon Dictionary and Translation Software) and I would like to know to what extend electronic dictionary are used in language teaching. Do you see them as an asset or a plague. Are you guiding your pupils to trusted online resources?

Happy to get feedback.

Talia

[Billy]

Hello Talia,

In regards to language teaching, it's been my experience that electronic dictionaries are only used by the students. Their use should be only light in th classroom, and heavily used in private study. I too have been on the receiving end of language study, and when learning a foreign language, I rarely use my electronic dictionary. Usually my teacher would explain it very clearly hence there is little need for me to use the dictionary in the classroom. Use of it will only slow down one's learning progress.

Though I do use it a lot when doing my homework even for words I may know the meaning. Reason being is that the dictionary gives me sample sentences which I find quite interesting.

As an English teacher I don't tell my students which sites to visit on the net. They have great text books, so really the net is more of a distraction than aide when it comes to learning English. Grab a great text book or two and you are set!

Good luck with your venture.

[Talia]

Thanks Billy,
for your comments. They are highly appreciated.
Regards - Talia

[gfell]

Yeh, somehow I would have to agree with Billy. It's sometimes hard enough to get students to complete their homework, yet alone go online to view English learning websites. Of course, it will also depend on the students age and language ability.

Personally I have never tried to learn Japanese online. I much prefer a text book.

[waixingren]

I use an English only classroom. I have plenty of students who use those electronic dictionaries, and most of them give some ridiculous translations. I try to break the translation habit by getting them to understand difficult concepts in simple terms. Whenever I point to a website I point to ones that don't have any Chinese.

[Talia]

Thanks - to all of you. I see the gap between efforts to teach a language and the use of a dictionary (actually in what ever format, print, online or electronic dictionary). I guess a dictionary only starts to be of help if a basic understanding of the foreign language has been reached, right?

Wishing you all the best,
Talia