Overview

• E-Dictionaries allow users to look up information about a word, including its meaning and common synonyms.

• E-Dictionaries can be found preloaded onto tech devices, on the Internet, as individual apps on smartphones, or built into assistive technology programs.

• E-dictionaries may help with reading comprehension or vocabulary by providing definitions for unfamiliar words.

e-Dictionary Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDiD8rw3zKQ

Research

Loucky (2010):

• This paper reviewed e-dictionary use amongst Japanese college students taking English as a foreign language by distributing a survey

• This study found a positive impact on student vocabulary for bilingual dictionaries.

Albus, Thurlow & Bielinksi (2005):

• In this study, authors explored the effect of an English dictionary accommodation on the reading performance among 133 English language learners (ELL) and 69 non-ELL students.

• The results suggested that mono-lingual english dictionaries did not improve reading comprehension.

Quick Facts

Advantages:

• Widely available for free.

• Less cumbersome than flipping through print dictionaries.

• Can be used with Text-to-Speech for those who struggle with reading.

Disadvantages:

• Most often requires Internet connection​

To Consider:

• While these technologies have yet to be validated for native english students, they are very commonly used in the public by both typical people and people with disabilities.