Dictionnaires collaboratifs et didactique du FLE : approches et applications dans le domaine touristique

This article examines the contribution of collaborative digital dictionaries – particularly Wiktionary and Reverso – to the teaching of French as a foreign language (FLE) with a professional focus, within the course Lingua francese per il Turismo 1 offered by the Servizio Linguistico d’Ateneo (SeLdA) at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Brescia. The study is based on the hypothesis that these tools, due to their accessibility, continuous updating, and participatory nature, contribute not only to the acquisition of specialized vocabulary but also to the exploitation of authentic data and the enhancement of learner autonomy. After a brief presentation of collaborative dictionaries, the article describes the methodology and the teaching program implemented over five lessons of the course. The results, drawn from in-class lexical case studies and the analysis of final brochures produced by students, show a strengthening of lexical autonomy as well as an expansion of terminological and communicative skills. The integration of these dictionaries also facilitates access to concepts and trends specific to the tourism sector, which are largely absent from traditional print dictionaries and are found mainly in everyday, journalistic, or promotional discourse. The use of these resources has fostered diverse learning dynamics, such as collaborative work, analysis of authentic data, and autonomous drafting of final assignments, reinforcing student engagement and proactivity. Teacher mediation, however, remains essential, particularly to guide lexical choices, provide models, and support autonomous activities. Thus, while collaborative dictionaries appear to be powerful tools for developing lexical autonomy and sensitivity to sectoral developments, their effectiveness depends on a structured pedagogical framework that combines open digital resources with teacher expertise. The article concludes that extending the duration of use, implementing formative assessment, and integrating structured moments of metacognitive reflection could further enhance students’ appropriation of these tools and their transferability to other educational contexts.