Visual language in lexicographic resources for translation and language learning: integrating multimedia elements in the Phrase-based Active Dictionary

Laura Rebosio

Lexicographic resources for translation and language learning often rely on verbal definitions to convey word meanings, yet these can fall short in addressing polysemy, cultural specificity, and semantic nuances. Visual aids, such as pictures, diagrams, animations, and videos, offer an additional channel of information that enhances meaning disambiguation and supports vocabulary acquisition. Despite their potential, the integration of multimedia elements in electronic dictionaries remains underexplored and unsystematic. My dissertation investigates the theoretical and practical challenges of incorporating visual aids into lexicographic resources, focusing on their role in disambiguating word meanings and improving cross-linguistic semantic understanding.

The research is situated within the PhraseBase project (PI: Laura Giacomini, University of Innsbruck), specifically its Phrase-based Active Dictionary (PAD), a cognitively and phraseologically oriented learner’s dictionary where lexical units are typical linguistic expressions rather than isolated words. I propose a systematic methodology for identifying which lexical units require visual augmentation, establishing criteria for selecting appropriate multimedia elements, and addressing challenges such as prototypical representation, cultural connotations, and polysemy.