English Dictionaries
Dictionaries are very important tools for English learners. They make things more clear, give valuable information about vocabulary, and in many cases help teach grammar.
With that said, the learner should know how to choose his dictionaries.
There are some excellent English-English dictionaries, such as the Unabridged Merriam-Webster, that can make the learner scream in horror… It is simply way too big and complicated for the average learner. Actually, it can even be way too big and complicated for the average English speaker!
Other dictionaries can be too small. They might have too little words, and too little information for each word. So they can have little or no use.
So the trick is to select the perfect one for you. You should ask yourself the following questions:
- Are the definitions clear to me? Can I easily understand them?
- Does it give enough example sentences? (These are highly helpful.)
- Does this dictionary have most of the words I am looking for?
- Can I get it together with a handy CD? (This can actually be very useful and time saving!)
There are other features that make a dictionary more desirable, such as many illustrations, usage notes, grammar notes, and other cool extras, so you might want to look for those too.
Did you know many good and popular dictionaries have a free online version? You can read about them, and about other recommended dictionaries in this English Dictionary Guide.
Ola Zur is the editor of Really Learn English Vocabulary and Easy English Grammar, an illustrated guide to English.
This is really a nice blog which is very help helpful for English learners.
Comment by Pruthiraj Nayak — December 27, 2010 @ 07:23
This is really a nice blog which helps English learner.
Comment by Pruthiraj — January 14, 2011 @ 03:16
we like this article. thanks for sharing.
Comment by english course — February 1, 2011 @ 09:17
One tip in learning English is using an English – English dictionaries. Using translation dictionaries is good but it can slow down learning the English language because it still involves the learner’s mother tongue instead of learning through the direct method.
Comment by Grace Rimando — February 15, 2011 @ 10:18
I thorougly agree about the dictionaries. Also, I think a Thesaurus is a good starting point for ESL students. It really narrows down the words, and it is easier for them to extract meaning.
Comment by Raysie — February 23, 2011 @ 20:04
As a user of English as a second language and a retired teacher of the subject myself, I wholeheartedly agree with the views you express in your blog. I’ve always felt strongly that students should be encouraged to use English-English Dictionary as much as possible. At the very least it enables students to learn to think in English. It’s no different from encouraging students to develop background information by reading as much and as widely as possible in English, especially on subjects that interest them.
So now with advances in technology, I’ve managed to develop an online game (www.sensedom.com) that can stimulate users to practise reading in English while also having fun in following up on their interests e.g. music, dance, art, wildlife and so on. Thereby they learn without realizing it.
The game is still evolving, but I wonder if you could kindly review it even as it develops, while also bringing it to the attention of your readers. You can use the feedback form on the site to provide me with some feedback.
Comment by K. Boaten — March 8, 2011 @ 09:22
I thoroughly agree with the usage of English – English dictionaries. I often recommend using both. This will give the student an overall better comprehension in learning English.
Comment by esol courses — June 18, 2011 @ 14:06