QUEM NÃO TEM CÃO CAÇA COM GATO: ESTRATÉGIAS DE BUSCA LEXICAL POR TRADUTORES DE FRANCÊS

Abstract

This research study investigated lexical search strategies of five undergraduate students in a translation studies course during an authentic French-Portuguese translation exercise. The objectives were to identify opportunities to teach dictionary use to improve the student participants' skills in using a dictionary, and identify opportunities to develop lexicographic solutions to problems faced by the participants. Data analysis reinforced the hypothesis that users preferred computer dictionaries to paper dictionaries. An intense and diversified use of the search engine Google was also noted, indicating it is a way to access online reference tools and is a reference tool itself. These results suggest that teaching dictionary use could be expanded to "teaching lexical search strategies", incorporating the teaching of advanced search strategies such as those in a search engine. Results also suggest that the actual concept of dictionaries will probably change in the following decades, by adding facilities found in search engines (such as word frequency and collocation searches) or being included in linguistic applications.