How Can App Design Improve Lexicographic Outcomes? Examples from an Italian Idiom Dictionary

• Valeria Caruso ^[2] ; Barbara Balbi ^[1] ; Johanna Monti ^[2] ; Roberta Presta ^[1]
  1. [1] Università degli Studi Suor Orsola Benincasa

     Università degli Studi Suor Orsola Benincasa

     Nápoles, Italia

     
  2. [2] Università degli Studi di Napoli ‘L’Orientale, Napoli
• Localización: Electronic lexicography in the 21st century. Proceedings of the eLex 2019 conference. 1-3 October 2019, Sintra, Portugal / Iztok Kosem (ed. lit.), Tanara Zingano Kuhn (ed. lit.), Margarita Correia (ed. lit.), José Pedro Ferreira (ed. lit.), Maarten Jansen (ed. lit.), Isabel Pereira (ed. lit.), Jelena Kallas (ed. lit.), Miloš Jakubíček (ed. lit.), Simon Krek (ed. lit.), Carole Tiberius (ed. lit.), 2019, págs. 374-396
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Despite the growing number of smartphone apps used in everyday tasks, lexicographic applications are still rarely discussed. Studies focus mainly on the usability of available tools, but contributions concerning the development of dictionary apps are almost non-existent. In this paper, three different design solutions are presented to implement a dictionary app for Italian idioms, having foreign learners as prospective users. Prototypes were sketched according to Human-centred design principles and by applying a participatory approach in which users contribute to the design process. To offer a trustworthy tool, special attention was also paid to the lexicographic data provided. To this end, the OWID Sprichwörterbuch model was enriched with specific information to support foreign speakers, whose communicative needs had been tested in a production task with Italian idioms. The presentation of three prototypes is specifically addressed to highlight design solutions which can guarantee descriptive richness.