Modern English dictionaries on mobile phones

The article is devoted to the new trends observed in modern English lexicography in connection with the digitalization of the society. One of the main aspects of the development of lexicography today is the emergence of not only digital twins of authoritative dictionaries, but also mobile applications of such authoritative reference books of the following publishers: Longman, Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, HarperCollins Publishers, etc. In addition, the article studies the main features of language learning with the help of a portable device, and the characteristic traits of foreign languages computer learning. Due to the COVID-19 coronavirus epidemic, students had distance learning, which also meant using dictionaries on computers and mobile devices. The material of the research includes two dictionaries of the English language on mobile devices: Longman Dictionary English and Dictionary.com. In these dictionaries the microstructure is detailed, there are illustrative examples that allow users to see the words use in context. Graphic illustrations are also often given to the lexical units which contribute to better memorization of the words meanings. Both dictionary apps are learner’s ones. It is manifested in the presence of a developed system of exercises. The study concludes that the success of dictionaries on mobile devices and the expansion of the audience of their users is explained by a number of factors, such as the availability of reference books, easy navigation, user-friendly interface, the speed of finding the required information, as well as the provision of flexible context regardless of time and space, which provides the possibility of their application in autonomous learning.