SpanishDict: A Tribute to learners of Spanish from curiosity media

Abstract

Spanish is the second most spoken native and the third most spoken foreign language. Despite the wide currency it enjoys, Spanish might sometimes pose problems to its learners concerning grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation. However, technological advancements have proposed workable solutions and fostered learning through products tailored to specific learner needs. In this respect, this review sought to evaluate SpanishDict following Kohnke & Moorhouse’s recommendations. It demonstrated that the application's most potentially powerful aspect was the interactive grammar instruction practice supported by contextualized videos that fostered an immersive language learning experience. It also found that the situational, thematic, and visually endorsed drills might encourage vocabulary learning. It was further discovered that the audiovisual input supplied through captioned pronunciation videos in Castilian and Latin American, which are the two mainstream varieties of Spanish, might foster prospective learners’ phonological awareness. Keywords: Bilingual dictionary; digital learning; educational YouTube; online resource; SpanishDict