Online Dictionaries as a potential Proverb Learning Tool: A Case Study of Teaching German as a Foreign Language

Since proverbs constitute a natural part of every language and dictionaries are indispensable medial aids in foreign language teaching, the article addresses the question of whether and to what extent proverbs are present in three different types of dictionaries. Furthermore, this study examines whether the observed decreasing frequency of proverbs is reflected in a decreasing presence of proverbs in these dictionaries. With the results of this survey, an important desideratum is filled, since the topicality and relevance of proverbs for students of foreign languages have not yet been systematically studied in the literature. Ultimately, some paremio-didactic guidelines will be briefly outlined that aim at an improved presence of proverbs in dictionaries and should thus favourably affect foreign language teaching.