Proficiency in foreign languages is essential for professionals from countr
ies in transition. A multimedia dictionary Internet application may offer n
eeded help in everyday activities as well as in distance-learning systems.
A multimedia dictionary is considered as both a conventional dictionary too
l and a distance-learning network application. In this article we analyze t
he architecture and implementation issues arising in the design and impleme
ntation of a multimedia dictionary network application. The application is
considered multimedia since it is designed to support textual, visual, and
audio information content. Practical implementation is shown to be feasible
with current technology, but a lack of available multimedia standards has
been recognized. This is why we have considered the existing standards as w
ell as the standards in development. The application is developed in Java(1
) language, and may be run as either a standalone application or an applet.
The latter entails accessibility in a ubiquitous manner to a large number
of users. The application is intended for both non-native English users and
professionals exposed to specific technical terminology.