Author(s)

Lisha LUO, Changqing LIU

Corresponding Author

Changqing LIU

ABSTRACT

Illustrations are of salient importance to the comprehension of the entries. The dictionary app OALD 10th boasts hundreds of illustrations in different forms, and it was analyzed as an example in the present study. This article aims to explore how the illustrations are configured in electronic learner's dictionaries based on the reception theory. In the research, the presentation format, characteristics and classification of the illustrations on the app were demonstrated by certain screenshots as examples. Inspired by the illustrations configuration of the app, three standards of configuring the illustrations in electronic learner's dictionaries were proposed from the users' perspective. In conclusion, the illustrations configuration should meet the users' needs first, and apart from it, the heuristic value should be provided by the illustrations, particularly in learner's dictionaries. Furthermore, it was suggested that the difficult verbs should also be illustrated in special forms. Suggestions for further research in this area were presented in the end.

KEYWORDS

illustrations, electronic learner's dictionaries, reception theory, OALD10th app for Android