Abstract
In general, learner's dictionaries suffer from the fact that lexicography has been treated as a subdiscipline of linguistics and not as an independent discipline and that, correspondingly, no serious efforts have been made to develop a general theory of learner's dictionaries within the general theory of lexicography. Such a theory must undoubtedly be developed on the basis of the theory of lexicographic functions. Foreign language learning is a complex process and the very concept of a learner is in no way unambiguous. Dictionaries can be conceived to assist the learner in different aspects of the language-learning process. Accordingly, at least four main functions of a learner's dictionary can be distinguished corresponding to the following user situations: text reception in the foreign language, text production in the foreign language, conscious study of the foreign- language lexis and conscious study of the foreign-language grammar. Learner's dictionaries are, thus, not to be considered a special type of dictionaries, but constitute a more general category including various types of learner's dictionaries according to their functions or combination of functions. The great challenge to learner's lexicography is to conceive and compile dictionaries that assist the learner in as many aspects of the language-learning process as possible. Keywords: lexicography, learner's lexicography, learner's dictionaries, general theory of learner's lexicography, lexicographic functions, communication-orientated functions, knowledge-orientated functions, foreign-language text reception, foreign-language text production, assimilations of the foreign-language system, learners' characteristics, user needs, user situations, lexicographic data, lexicographic structures
Highlights
In a world that is becoming ever more internationalised and where intercultural communication is of growing importance for anybody who does not want to be overtaken by this development, there is a growing need for different sorts of dictionaries that can support the necessary communication
This article calls for the need to develop a general theory of learner's lexicography and indicates some of the ways that can be followed in order to reach this goal
This study embraces a thorough analysis of the learner as a potential dictionary user, of the general circumstances of the language-learning process as such, of the specific user situations where dictionaries can provide assistance and, of the specific complex of user needs that arise for each specific type of users in each specific type of user situation
Summary
In a world that is becoming ever more internationalised and where intercultural communication is of growing importance for anybody who does not want to be overtaken by this development, there is a growing need for different sorts of dictionaries that can support the necessary communication. The big and ever bigger growing interest in learner's dictionaries is first of all reflected in the comprehensive literature covering this special field of lexicography. It goes without saying that both the theoretical literature and the lexicographic practice are seriously affected by this regrettable lack of a general theory, it must be admitted that some of the dictionaries are far better than the corresponding "theoretical" literature. This article calls for the need to develop a general theory of learner's lexicography and indicates some of the ways that can be followed in order to reach this goal. This is all done under the motto that there is nothing as practical as a good theory
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