The University of Arizona

Google Dictionary: A Critical Review

Musa Nushi, Afshin Moradi

Abstract


In an increasingly digital world, online educational resources, apps and other technologies can serve as incredibly effective tools to facilitate both teaching and learning. One such online tool is the Google Dictionary. The dictionary, an online service of Google, is probably one of the simplest dictionaries for English learners. The definitions usually use simple words and therefore are easy to understand. In addition to the definitions, examples, pictures, and usage notes there is a separate pronunciation entry with interesting characteristics. This newly added entry provides users with pronunciation of a word in two different accents, visemes, slow playback and an option that lets Google to have feedback from the users. This review paper offers a descriptive account of the entry, along with critical evaluation including its strong points and limitations. The review concludes with some suggestions to improve the educational quality of the pronunciation entry.

DOI:10.2458/azu_itlt_v8i1_nushi


Keywords


Google dictionary; pronunciation; second language; technology

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References


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