Multimodal Learner’s Dictionary With Historical and Cultural Components in Efl Classroom

Abstract

This article studies the problem of making a multimodal computer dictionary with historical and cultural components for EFL classrooms. The relevance of the research topic is associated with the development of computer lexicography as a branch of applied linguistics at the intersection with digital humanities and digital pedagogy, as well as with the active development of new methods and tools in the practice of teaching foreign languages. The object of the research is a multimodal learners’ computer dictionary that visualizes semantic changes in lexicon of the English language, in particular, the key lexemes of the thematic field “еducation”. The purpose of this article is to substantiate the problems of creating an educational multimodal dictionary of a historical and cultural type in computer lexicography. One of the objectives of the research is to study the specific semantic features of the units in the thematic field “education” in the multimodal learner’s dictionary. The multimodal dictionary plays an important role in the interaction of the user with the virtual system, where the dictionary is not only an additional reference book but also a multifunctional means of teaching and obtaining information about the culture of the target language countries, including the dynamics of its development. The introduction of such dictionaries into teaching is the key to successful immersion in the culture of the target language country and mastering language competencies. This article presents the elements of typology and principles of building computer dictionaries, notes the role of a multimodal computer dictionary in teaching a foreign language, and proposes a model of a learner’s multimodal dictionary of historical and cultural type for EFL classroom, as well as outlines the stages of dynamic development in English vocabulary.

Development of Methods for Studying the Image of Culture in the Digital Era

“…The 'Digital Humanities' methods are used in the study of culture in education, for example, in the study of foreign languages [16], literature [17], museum studies etc. Noteworthy, in a digital society, when studying culture using the methods of 'Digital Humanities' , digital competencies are formed, which involve the use of information and communication technologies in further professional or research activities related to the preservation, development and study of culture.…”