Daryna Kulyk, II version

In today’s globalized world, learning a foreign language at a young age is becoming

increasingly crucial. Picture dictionaries, which integrate visual and written aspects in order to
encourage language acquisition, are a popular tool for teaching vocabulary to young learners.
Nevertheless, all picture dictionaries differ, thus it is essential to choose one that meets the
needs of the learner. Factors such as division into thematic areas (e.g. family, animals),
attractive graphic design, phonetic transcription, and alphabetical layout and others can all
play a role in selecting an effective picture dictionary for young learners.

The aim of this study was to compare three picture dictionaries for teaching English in
order to provide a valuable insight into how effectively visual dictionaries can help students to
learn English. The English Adventure by Pearson Longman, English Picture Dictionary,
edited by A. Winiewska and J. Myjak, and My First English-Polish Dictionary, published by
Green Owl were analysed. In addition to analysing the content of these dictionaries, a survey
was conducted for teachers and parents to gather information on the factors that influence the
choice of a dictionary for learning a foreign language and its assessment in the context of
teaching practice. By identifying the key criteria that a dictionary should meet in order to
facilitate language acquisition, this research will contribute to the development of more
effective teaching materials for early language learning.

Indeed, the survey conducted among the teachers of early school education revealed
that dictionaries were essential for children learning a foreign language. Most of the
respondents agreed that using dictionaries during lessons was of great importance for children
learning lexical knowledge, which had an impact on the fluency of spoken language in further
communicative situations. As it was visible in the results, a good dictionary should meet the
following criteria: division into thematic areas, attractive graphic design, phonetic
transcription, and alphabetical layout. Furthermore, the parents took into account teachers'
opinions as well as opinions found on the Internet when choosing a dictionary, but rarely
considered the position of the child and the seller.

The results of the analysis showed us that both the parents and the teachers identified
common criteria that a dictionary for learning English in early schooling should meet. These
criteria included rich graphic design, the use of fairy tale characters as motivators for learning,
thematic arrangement, and the opportunity to identify people, phenomena, states, and
activities through their graphical presence. These factors were found to enhance the learning
process by making it more attractive, engaging, and memorable for the child.

In conclusion, this study has shown that picture dictionaries can be an effective tool
for teaching English to young learners when they meet certain criteria. It is hard to escape the
obvious conclusion that by incorporating rich graphic design, familiar characters, thematic
arrangement, and clear visual representations of concepts, picture dictionaries can help to
accelerate the learning process and make it more enjoyable for children.

However, it is important to consider the limitations of this study, such as the small
sample size and limited scope of the research. Further work is needed to explore this topic in
more depth and provide more conclusive evidence. For example, further studies could
investigate the effectiveness of different types of picture dictionaries (e.g., digital vs. print) or
compare the use of picture dictionaries with other vocabulary teaching methods. Additionally,
longitudinal studies could be conducted to assess the long-term impact of using picture
dictionaries on language acquisition. These and other potential research directions could help
to further our understanding of how picture dictionaries can be used most effectively in early
language learning.