Online dictionaries and translation applications in the L2 classroom: A study of attitude differences between students and educators
Online dictionaries and translation applications in the L2 classroom: A study of attitude differences between students and educators

Summary/Abstract: It is becoming increasingly apparent that education is beginning to undergo profound changes due to the impact of the Internet and online applications. In the case of second and foreign language (L2) teaching, online technologies offer potent solutions and serious challenges to the way languages are taught in the classroom. Apart from the fact that the Internet offers an unprecedented wealth of learning materials for L2 students and educators, it also provides access to something potentially even more powerful, that is, online translation tools and dictionaries. Instantaneous, freely available and easy to use, online dictionaries could prove to be a highly effective technology if exploited appropriately. This paper does not focus on whether or not dictionaries aid L2 learning, but rather examines the attitudes of both students and educators towards the use of online dictionaries and translation applications in the classroom. This reported study attempted to determine the discrepancies and similarities between the attitudes of the two groups, and consider the potential implications of its findings.

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