Vocabulary acquisition: Electronic glossary versus paper dictionary

Reading in a second language is an essential skill that students strive to improve, yet they are often unable to seek information or entertainment in reading materials. One of the most difficult tasks of a language teacher today is to foster a positive attitude toward reading, with the intention of expanding on vocabulary acquisition. For several years researchers have advocated the importance of teaching vocabulary in reading comprehension. The review of literature in this paper compare between different theories from the Grammar Translation approach to Computer Assisted Language Learning. These approaches vary from drawing inference to using dictionaries, glossaries or computer and hypertext. Also motivation and storytelling are discussed because they are considered as contributing factors in learning vocabulary.