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...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Rees, Geraint Paul, Frankenberg-Garcia, Ana
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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spelling Can dictionary consultation during reading be improved?Rees, Geraint PaulFrankenberg-Garcia, AnaDictionary useReading comprehensionVocabulary assistanceWhile 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 València2026202620252026info:eu-repo/semantics/bookPartinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionapplication/pdfapplication/pdfhttps://hdl.handle.net/10230/72381https://doi.org/10.4995/EuroCALL2025.2025.21247reponame:Repositorio Digital de la UPFinstname:Universitat Pompeu FabraInglésChoubsaz Y, Díez-Arcón P, Gimeno-Sanz A, Morgana V, Murphy C, Seracini FL, editors. EuroCALL 2025 - Advancing CALL: new research agendas; 2025 August 27-30; Milan, Italy. València: Universitat Politècnica de València; 2025.Atribución/Reconocimiento-NoComercial-CompartirIgual 4.0http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/deed.esinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:repositori.upf.edu:10230/723812026-06-12T07:21:37Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Can dictionary consultation during reading be improved?
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?
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Rees, Geraint Paul
Frankenberg-Garcia, Ana
author Rees, Geraint Paul
author_facet Rees, Geraint Paul
Frankenberg-Garcia, Ana
author_role author
author2 Frankenberg-Garcia, Ana
author2_role author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Dictionary use
Reading comprehension
Vocabulary assistance
topic 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
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2025
2026
2026
2026
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/bookPart
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
format bookPart
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv https://hdl.handle.net/10230/72381
https://doi.org/10.4995/EuroCALL2025.2025.21247
url https://hdl.handle.net/10230/72381
https://doi.org/10.4995/EuroCALL2025.2025.21247
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv Choubsaz Y, Díez-Arcón P, Gimeno-Sanz A, Morgana V, Murphy C, Seracini FL, editors. EuroCALL 2025 - Advancing CALL: new research agendas; 2025 August 27-30; Milan, Italy. València: Universitat Politècnica de València; 2025.
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv Atribución/Reconocimiento-NoComercial-CompartirIgual 4.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/deed.es
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv Atribución/Reconocimiento-NoComercial-CompartirIgual 4.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/deed.es
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Universitat Politècnica de València
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Universitat Politècnica de València
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:Repositorio Digital de la UPF
instname:Universitat Pompeu Fabra
instname_str Universitat Pompeu Fabra
reponame_str Repositorio Digital de la UPF
collection Repositorio Digital de la UPF
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
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