Can dictionary consultation during reading be improved?
While many ELT websites continue to promote contextual guessing as the preferred strategy for understanding unfamiliar words, there is limited evidence that this practice outperforms dictionary use for vocabulary comprehension. Moreover, nowadays, learners reading from their screens can instantly ac...
| Autores: | , |
|---|---|
| Tipo de recurso: | capítulo de libro |
| Estado: | Versión publicada |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2025 |
| País: | España |
| Institución: | Universitat Pompeu Fabra |
| Repositorio: | Repositorio Digital de la UPF |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:repositori.upf.edu:10230/72381 |
| Acceso en línea: | https://hdl.handle.net/10230/72381 https://doi.org/10.4995/EuroCALL2025.2025.21247 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | Dictionary use Reading comprehension Vocabulary assistance |
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Can dictionary consultation during reading be improved? Rees, Geraint Paul Frankenberg-Garcia, Ana Dictionary use Reading comprehension Vocabulary assistance While many ELT websites continue to promote contextual guessing as the preferred strategy for understanding unfamiliar words, there is limited evidence that this practice outperforms dictionary use for vocabulary comprehension. Moreover, nowadays, learners reading from their screens can instantly access definitions through search bars or clickable text, even without leaving the page they are reading. Despite these lexicographic advances, there is room for better integration of dictionaries with reading. This study examines the effectiveness, efficiency, and usability of Reverso, a new dictionary designed to support reading comprehension. 32 undergraduates in Spain completed a reading-comprehension quiz using either the Reverso Chrome extension or Oxford Learner¿s Dictionaries online (chosen as a benchmark). Performance was evaluated through measures of task completion time (efficiency), accurate word meaning selection (effectiveness), and responses to a standardised usability questionnaire. Both tools were effective. However, Reverso users completed tasks more efficiently and rated the tool slightly higher in usability, suggesting it is a less disruptive and more user-friendly aid for vocabulary consultation during reading. Comunicació presentada al EuroCALL 2025 - Advancing CALL: new research agendas, celebrada a Milà(Itàlia) del 27 al 30 d'agost de 2025. Universitat Politècnica de València https://hdl.handle.net/10230/72381 https://doi.org/10.4995/EuroCALL2025.2025.21247 |
| title |
Can dictionary consultation during reading be improved? |
| spellingShingle |
Can dictionary consultation during reading be improved? Rees, Geraint Paul Dictionary use Reading comprehension Vocabulary assistance |
| title_short |
Can dictionary consultation during reading be improved? |
| title_full |
Can dictionary consultation during reading be improved? |
| title_fullStr |
Can dictionary consultation during reading be improved? |
| title_full_unstemmed |
Can dictionary consultation during reading be improved? |
| title_sort |
Can dictionary consultation during reading be improved? |
| author |
Rees, Geraint Paul |
| author_facet |
Rees, Geraint Paul Frankenberg-Garcia, Ana |
| author_role |
author |
| author2 |
Frankenberg-Garcia, Ana |
| author2_role |
author |
| topic |
Dictionary use Reading comprehension Vocabulary assistance |
| topic_facet |
Dictionary use Reading comprehension Vocabulary assistance |
| description |
While many ELT websites continue to promote contextual guessing as the preferred strategy for understanding unfamiliar words, there is limited evidence that this practice outperforms dictionary use for vocabulary comprehension. Moreover, nowadays, learners reading from their screens can instantly access definitions through search bars or clickable text, even without leaving the page they are reading. Despite these lexicographic advances, there is room for better integration of dictionaries with reading. This study examines the effectiveness, efficiency, and usability of Reverso, a new dictionary designed to support reading comprehension. 32 undergraduates in Spain completed a reading-comprehension quiz using either the Reverso Chrome extension or Oxford Learner¿s Dictionaries online (chosen as a benchmark). Performance was evaluated through measures of task completion time (efficiency), accurate word meaning selection (effectiveness), and responses to a standardised usability questionnaire. Both tools were effective. However, Reverso users completed tasks more efficiently and rated the tool slightly higher in usability, suggesting it is a less disruptive and more user-friendly aid for vocabulary consultation during reading. |
| publishDate |
2025 |
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publishedVersion |
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https://hdl.handle.net/10230/72381 https://doi.org/10.4995/EuroCALL2025.2025.21247 |
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openAccess |
| publisher |
Universitat Politècnica de València |
| institution |
Universitat Pompeu Fabra |
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Repositorio Digital de la UPF |
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Repositorio Digital de la UPF |
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Universitat Pompeu Fabra |
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1878440208686383104 |
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2025 |
| author_browse |
Frankenberg-Garcia, Ana Rees, Geraint Paul |
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Universitat Politècnica de València |
| score |
6.924472 |