Electronic Vs Print Dictionary in the Practice of Teaching a Foreign Language

The article presents the results of an experimental study of the comparative effectiveness of electronic and printed dictionaries in the formation of lexical competence in the process of reading in a foreign language. The relevance of the problem is substantiated in the context of the rapid digitalization of education and the widespread replacement of traditional dictionary tools with their electronic counterparts. Based on the results of an experiment conducted with students studying a non-native (German) language (level B1), differences in quantitative indicators of dictionary use (frequency of use, search time, success of finding words) as well as in the results of immediate and delayed (after two weeks) testing of vocabulary acquisition are demonstrated. It was found that electronic dictionaries provide a statistically significant advantage in immediate memorization (7– 9% higher across all types of tests), but after two weeks the differences between the groups level out. Based on a qualitative analysis of vocabulary management strategies (retrospective interviews), differences in the cognitive and metacognitive strategies of users of electronic and printed dictionaries are described: the former more often turn to additional meanings and multimedia capabilities but less often make an effort to memorize; the latter compensate for the labor-intensive nature of searching by developing additional strategies. The pros and cons of using different types of dictionaries are highlighted: on the one hand, speed of access, reduced cognitive load, and the multimodality of electronic dictionaries; on the other, the formation of an "illusion of competence" and a higher forgetting rate when working with them, as well as a more robust, albeit slower, acquisition of vocabulary when using printed dictionaries. Directions for further study of the possibilities of using different types of dictionaries in the process of teaching a foreign language are proposed.

1. Alekseeva I.S., Boyarkina A.V., Prosyukova K.O., Takhtarova S.S. Translation didactics and trilingualism: the educational potential. Kazanskiy lingvisticheskiy jurnal. 2021; 4(2): 302–318. (In Russ.). DOI: 10.26907/2658-3321.2021.4.2.302-318.

2. Liyuan L., Obdalova O.A. The Innovative Pathways of Foreign Language Teaching Model in the Digital Environment. Kazan linguistic journal. 2025; 8(3): 309–319. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.26907/2658-3321.2025.8.3.309-319.

3. Shamne N.L., Milovanova M.V. Using Digital Technologies in the Framework of Communicative Aspect Teaching a Foreign Language. Kazan linguistic journal. 2025; 8(2): 153-165. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.26907/2658-3321.2025.8.2.153-165.

4. Craik F.I.M., Lockhart R.S. Levels of processing: A framework for memory research. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior. 1972; 11(6): 671–684.

5. Sweller J. Cognitive load during problem solving: Effects on learning. Cognitive Science. 1988; 12(2): 257–285.

6. Furenes M.I., Kucirkova N., Bus A.G. A comparison of children's reading on paper versus screen: A meta-analysis. Review of Educational Research. 2021; 91(4): 483–517.

7. Hodson P., Markwalder E. Kindle versus Duden: The effects of integrated and printed dictionaries on vocabulary retention in secondary school learners. Language Learning & Technology. 2025; 29(1): 101–119.

8. Lo S. Dictionary types and search strategies: Comparing online dictionaries, sentence-level machine translation, and word-level translation in vocabulary learning. Computer Assisted Language Learning. 2025; 38(2): 215–238.

9. Plotnikova A.M., Slautina M.V. Ideographic dictionaries in the practice of teaching linguistic disciplines. Perspectives of Science and Education. 2019; 42(6): 172–182. doi: 10.32744/pse.2019.6.14.

10. Epifanova V.V. The use of bilingual educational combinatorial dictionaries based on meaning rubrication in RFL classes. Universum: Philology and Art Criticism: Electronic Scientific Journal. 2023; 8(110). Available from: https://7universum.com/ru/philology/archive/item/15872.