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 Ratings
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| Reviewed: |
Apr 24, 2008 by World Languages Editorial Board |
| Overview: |
This is an online dictionary that will translate English to or from French, Spanish, or Italian. |
| Learning Goals: |
Support vocabulary learning |
| Target Student Population: |
Learners of English, French, Spanish or Italian |
| Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills: |
None |
| Type of Material: |
Reference |
| Recommended Uses: |
Reference tool |
| Technical Requirements: |
None |
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| Strengths: |
The site appears to offer more than an appropriate depth to its goals and purpose. Clearly organized and easily understood, this environment should cause no problems in use by the learner. Though obviously geared for secondary and post-secondary use, the quality of the material is evident in its ability to be understood by learners of all ages. |
| Concerns: |
None |
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Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool |
Rating:    |
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| Strengths: |
This site reaches above and beyond the typical online dictionary format by offering the opportunity for the online community to communicate and ask questions in the form of blogging. Learners can, for example, pose questions about word usage and contextual applications of almost every word in this environment. An example of this would be having the opportunity to get both a literal and a figurative application of the phrase runny nose and stuffy nose. The material can be be integrated into any language environment, and easily used by the learners. Though there is no video or audio to be used at this site, it is engaging in its simplicity and ease-of-use.
From the teachers point of view, there are a variety of ways to achieve teaching and learning goals, simply by offering the site as a resource to almost any learning activity that they would develop, not the least of which would be compelling the learners to use the site to engage in the blogging aspect, for the purpose of gaining clearer understanding of how the chosen language is used in daily life. |
| Concerns: |
None |
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Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty |
| Rating: |
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| Strengths: |
The screens are easy to read, and the navigation is simple but comprehensive and effective. One would not become trapped or lost in this site. There is little use of color, nor any audio or video, but this site does not need those things. The information is presented attractively in that one who is working to find the proper translation of a particular phrase or idiom will not only have that right at their mouse-click, but the opportunity to adjust the phrasing by choosing other words from a running list of words at the side of each and every page. |
| Concerns: |
An audio feature would be useful. |
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| Other Issues and Comments: |
None |
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