The study of languages by students of the School of Foreign Languages involves constant familiarization with new vocabulary, synonymous and antonymous word combinations and speech phrases, specific and fixed expressions and their use in practice, in particular when in the form of translation. Future philologists and translators constantly encounter new and / or already familiar lexical constructions in texts, everyday discussions and outside of theoretical and practical lectures, however, delving into more specific topics and areas, they come across terms and meanings that they have not dealt with before. Professionalisms, jargons, archaisms and even slang expressions require more attention payed to them, and the fields in which they are used do not forgive inaccuracies with the used vocabulary.
While the clarification of the translation of well-known words is possible with the use of simple online translators or mobile applications, as well as with the general broad outlook of students, there is a need for specialized platforms to work with highly specialized vocabulary. Kyiv Dictionary is one of the online resources that offer its users a variety of word-related activities. The Ukrainian multilingual online dictionary [1], in particular, has a built-in translation function, which makes it an excellent assistant for those seeking education in the fields of philology and translation. In this paper, my aim is to consider the functional features of the above-mentioned platform and highlight the pros and cons of its use, especially with a focus on its usage by students that are engaged in learning foreign languages.
The first significant and rather obvious advantage of the dictionary is its digitalization, that is, all users with access to the World Wide Web can easily use it and translate the word they are interested in. For students who are in Ukraine and may have problems with Internet connection after the beginning of the russian full-scale invasion, the former may be an obstacle to stable work with the dictionary, as with other online programs and platforms, but with the return of a better Internet connection, they can always return to the tab with the typed word and apply the translation function again.
The second advantage of the dictionary is its relatively minimalist design, especially in the translation section, which does not distract users from the main purpose of using the web-site. Along with the original word, the numbered main meanings are demonstrated. Below the bar there are word combinations and phrases in which the searched word can be used. The dictionary presents them and the total number of translation varieties in colorful subcategories, which draw attention of the users. The list of parts of speech of the languages, in which the searched word can occur, and, more importantly, hyperlinks to the categories of different spheres of use of this word with examples [ibid] make Kyiv Dictionary an excellent resource both for beginners, who desire to get familiar with new words, and for more or less experienced users of a foreign language, who seek to learn more or are working on the translation of a text of a specific professional field. The ease of viewing general meanings and the convenient grouping of categories with specific meanings in the online form pleasantly distinguish the dictionary from other more heavy and difficult-to-use programs that translators work with and allow people to spend less time searching for contexts on the Internet.
English, French, and Italian languages, along with Ukrainian, built into the translator make the dictionary an excellent resource for students of the School of Foreign Languages, especially the Department of Romanic Philology and Translation. Moreover, the constant development of the web-site by moderators enables users to work even with a limited number of words in the Latin language. An additional smart feature is the ability to type a word in Latin, pressing the Cyrillic keys of the keyboard, and vice versa, while the system recognizes and shows the word the user is looking for in the prompts. This feature is especially useful for students who are constantly searching for information and trying to multitask.
Despite the numerous advantages of the platform, it is necessary to note several disadvantages that can affect the quality of using the translator. For some users, the context of the implementation of a word in its specific meaning may not be enough if instead of a complete sentence, an example of a word combination is given to it. Moreover, the function of saving the search history or creating one’s own list of meanings with priorities purely on the web-site is also not available.
The biggest drawback is the limited number of languages currently offered to users. The dictionary provides lists of words, word combinations and collocations in Ukrainian, English, French and Italian [ibid], so its users may form translation language pairs in six various combinations, but not more. Judging by the number of foreign languages Ukrainian students get acquainted in higher educational establishments and while self studying, there would be a high demand for a more vocabulary lists added if the quality of translations provided stayed the same.
In conclusion, I think it is necessary to note that the use of dictionaries and translators is only one of the activities that can involve the attention of students who interact with the vocabulary of foreign languages in this or that way, but it is important from the point of view of self-study of students and requires quality and relativity proven platforms, which example is Kyiv Dictionary. Although it cannot be used for students learning languages that are not included in the list suggested in the dictionary, the translator feature for available language pairs offers a number of advantages, making it easy to use and allowing students to delve into specific areas of foreign language use.
References
1. Ukrainian multilingual online dictionary – Kyiv Dictionary. URL: https://www.kyivdictionary.com/en/ (Last accessed: 23.04.2024).
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