The Pros and Cons of Electronic Dictionaries in English Learning

Electronic Dictionary Pros

1, small and lightweight

Compared with traditional paper dictionaries, the most intuitive advantage of electronic dictionaries is that they are small, lightweight and easy to carry. The main components of an electronic dictionary include an LCD, a 26-letter input keyboard, a battery compartment, headphones and a USB jack. Usually the size of a palm, the thickness of a thumb, weighing about 500 grams, carry around in your pocket is not a problem.

2, access to fast

For the majority of students, electronic dictionaries are faster than paper dictionaries. When accessing an electronic dictionary, users only need to use the keyboard to enter words to find the corresponding entries. For example, to look up the word "apple" in an electronic dictionary, all you need to do is type in "A", "P", "P ", "L", "E" five letters, you can get the explanation.

3. Pronunciation function

The electronic dictionary, as a product of contemporary technological progress, has a pronunciation function that is not found in paper dictionaries, and pronunciation is very important to language learners. The pronunciation function of electronic dictionaries can help students learn and master pronunciation skills more directly and quickly through listening and imitation.

4, rich in content

Nowadays, electronic dictionaries not only have English-Chinese, Chinese-English, synonyms and antonyms, idioms, collocations and other English dictionaries, but some electronic dictionaries also include Encyclopedia Britannica, Japanese dictionary, Xinhua Dictionary, Chinese Dictionary, Chinese Dictionary, Idioms Dictionary, and Dictionary of Ancient Chinese Frequently Used Words, etc. Students can easily and quickly use electronic dictionaries to learn and master the pronunciation skills. Students can easily and quickly access a lot of knowledge and information by using electronic dictionaries.

Disadvantages of Electronic Dictionaries

1. Less number of entries

Electronic dictionaries include fewer entries than paper dictionaries. Considering the limited memory, the designers and producers of electronic dictionaries remove some uncommon and unimportant entries, such as some words with special cultural meanings, onomatopoeia, phrases, etc., when they enter the dictionaries.

2, word interpretation less

Electronic dictionaries in the word interpretation content less than the paper dictionary, this is the electronic dictionary of the most people's headaches. Paper dictionaries strive to explain words in a concise manner. Electronic dictionaries can be simple, but they can't guarantee conciseness.

3, the income is not standardized dictionary

In the general electronic dictionary, very few of the income of the New Era Chinese-English Dictionary or the New Century Chinese-English Dictionary of Chinese and English Dictionary of Chinese and English, such as an authoritative Chinese-English dictionary. Perhaps due to intellectual property rights issues, some electronic dictionaries include Chinese-English dictionaries that are not of a very high standard and lack authority, and some even include dictionaries of unknown origin.

Advantages of paper dictionaries

1, convenient: can be brought to the learning classroom; no need for computer system and power supply; open to read, no need to turn on the computer and open the APP; you can easily compare two entries or two pages.

2. Enjoyment: The binding, design, paper and printing of paper dictionaries make them a kind of sensory enjoyment, which has the value of decoration, appreciation and collection.

3, immersion: paper dictionaries are easy to immerse in the depth of learning, rather than scribbling, slapdash browsing, which helps to understand and memorize.

4. Focus: A single function avoids interference from other factors.