![]() I believe that learners should have a bilingual dictionary on hand as a supportive tool but that training should focus on monolingual dictionary work. They believe that learners should think in English as much as possible. Some teachers are opposed to bilingual dictionaries on principle. His focus on quickly mapping individual words to his mother tongue resulted in a load of nonsense! His dictionary was his safety net because it took him back to Chinese at the press of a button. I remember one student who electronically translated the whole of his course book into Chinese. ![]() Many students treat them as pocket translators rather than serious tools of study. The biggest problem lies, paradoxically, in their ease of use. However, they can be expensive, are attractive to thieves, and they wear out after a few years. Their value lies in ease of access to students who own computers, but it is probably also a good idea to direct your learners to traditional ones first.Ī big plus of electronic dictionaries is that they hold a large amount of data in a small space. It is interesting but some of the content is so obscure it is best described as idiosyncratic, not all the definitions are accurate, and many are vulgar (which is part of the point). There are some excellent and specialised ones, such as, an etymological dictionary (dictionary that explains the origins of words) I sometimes use in class with higher level learners. Cambridge, for example, have an online advanced learners' dictionary at, which is easy to use and provides examples of word use. Many traditional dictionaries have online editions. Students usually complain that big dictionaries are too bulky to bring to class, so I recommend that they have two - a pocket dictionary for class and a 'shelf' dictionary for home study. These can be bought cheaply and last a very long time. As teachers we play an important role in developing those skills, and this article will explore ways that we can do that. The best way to complement a dictionary investment is strong study skills. If students know how to use them effectively, there are hundreds of hours of self-guided study to be had with a good dictionary.
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