Examining the Context of E-Dictionary Use in Language Studies

Abstract

E-learning industry is constantly expanding, offering an increasing array of E-learning tools to meet learners' needs and bridge the education gap. Convenience and accessibility make E-learning a significant global educating force. It is widely accepted that E-learning greatly contributes to lifelong learning, providing access to the world-class educational resources, thus becoming a leafing type of education in the 21 st century. Drawing on E-learning industry, this article emphasizes the significance of electronic academic and educational resources use in the era of digitalization of the system of education. The survey used in the article reviews classification features of computer programs for educational purposes in which particular attention is attributed to E-dictionaries. Since E-dictionaries have gained popularity as a user-friendly comprehensive source of meaningful data and proved to increase learners' productivity and boost their knowledge, in the article we investigate the distinctive features of E-dictionaries and highlight the importance of E-dictionaries in mastering professional skills and fostering international scientific cooperation. Furthermore, the investigation analyzes different approaches to the notion "E-dictionary". It proposes a critical review of characteristics of E-dictionaries. Our findings stress the importance of such parameters as the range and scope of dictionary material, information type of lexical units, peculiar patterns of dictionary arrangement, dictionary purposes as well as the arrangement of polysemous word meanings. Moreover, the findings highlight the key challenges in the compilation of E-dictionaries. We believe the study contributes to the field by providing a comprehensive account of the most significant distinctive features & productivity of E-dictionaries, which are among the widely-used educational resources in the era of digitalization.