Dictionaries For Learners Of English Research Articles

A Critique of the Controlled Defining Vocabulary in <i>Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English</i>

This article critically analyses the Longman Defining Vocabulary (LDV) in relation to its size, range and frequency, senses, parts of speech, affixes, and multiword expressions. The recent versions of the LDV contain a relatively fixed number of items. Over 85% of those items were found to be highly frequent, and for the defining purpose, genus terms, grammatical terms, etc. have also been included. The number of affixes in the LDV has been greatly reduced, and some common derivatives have been listed separately. On the other hand, the actual size of the LDV is much larger than was reported, for LDOCE did not distinguish between the LDV items with different senses or forms. It was found that the claim of using the 'most common meanings' of the LDV items is not always held true. The parts of speech of the LDV items have not been systematically indicated. Many multiword expressions, which have been used in the definitions in LDOCE, are not part of the LDV. This study sheds some light on the improvement in the practice of using a controlled defining vocabulary in an English learner's dictionary.

The Role of the Introductory Matter in Bilingual Dictionaries of English and Arabic

Monolingual and bilingual dictionaries for learners of English as foreign language differ from each other in many aspects. Among the differences are the types of information a dictionary provides outside the A–Z word list, especially in its introductory matter. Yet, dictionary introductions have been referred to rather peripherally in the literature on dictionary users and uses. Within the context of lexicographic practice, this study aims to outline the differences between EFL learner's dictionaries and bilingual English–Arabic dictionaries, and to determine to what extent a given set of popular dictionaries provide varied and sufficient information in their introductions. Three categories of dictionaries will be the subject of comparison: EFL dictionaries, European bilingual dictionaries, and bilingual dictionaries in the Arab world. Keywords: bilingual dictionary, introductory matter,English–Arabic, efl learner's dictionary, orientalist dictionary

"Nonmorphological Derivations" and the Four Main English Learner's Dictionaries

This article addresses the problem of nonmorphological derivations in English and its consequences for pedagogical lexicography, i.e. learner's dictionaries. The term nonmorpholo- gical derivation refers to cases such as sun — solar, moon — lunar, cat — feline, and in general to all cases where instead of, or in addition to, native derivational processes (sunny, moony, catty) English frequently uses borrowings especially from Romanic sources (Latin/French) and from Greek. The paper suggests that for such cases learner's dictionaries should give more active guidance and sup- port, in view of the fact that many foreign learners will be from linguistic backgrounds where dif- ferent, more native morphological processes are more common. An appendix lists the major exam- ples of such derivatives.

A.P. Cowie. English Dictionaries for Foreign Learners: A History

In the mid 1990s the evolution of the English learner's dictionary reached a zenith with the appearance on the market of four advanced-level monolingual learners' dictionaries. Three of these were existing works, i.e. the Oxford Ad-vanced Learner's Dictionary of Current English (henceforth ALD), the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (henceforth LDOCE) and the Collins CO-BUILD English Language Dictionary (henceforth COBUILD), which marked, to differing extents, significant departures from the lexicographical procedures followed by their predecessors. The last one, the Cambridge International Dic-tionary of English (henceforth CIDE), was a completely new dictionary. This highly productive burst of lexicographical energy was also the catalyst for an even more productive and sustained body of metalexicographical research and writing that dealt with the topic of learners' dictionaries.

The role of the introductory matter in bilingual dictionaries of English and Arabic

Monolingual and bilingual dictionaries for learners of English as foreign language differ from each other in many aspects. Among the differences are the types of information a dictionary provides outside the A–Z word list, especially in its introductory matter. Yet, dictionary introductions have been referred to rather peripherally in the literature on dictionary users and uses. Within the context of lexicographic practice, this study aims to outline the differences between EFL learner's dictionaries and bilingual English–Arabic dictionaries, and to determine to what extent a given set of popular dictionaries provide varied and sufficient information in their introductions. Three categories of dictionaries will be the subject of comparison: EFL dictionaries, European bilingual dictionaries, and bilingual dictionaries in the Arab world. Keywords: bilingual dictionary, introductory matter,English–Arabic, efl learner's dictionary, orientalist dictionary

"Nonmorphological Derivations" and the Four Main English Learner's Dictionaries

This article addresses the problem of "nonmorphological derivations" in English and its consequences for pedagogical lexicography, i.e. learner's dictionaries. The term "nonmorphological derivation" refers to cases such as sun — solar, moon — lunar, cat — feline, and in general to all cases where instead of, or in addition to, native derivational processes (sunny, moony, catty) English frequently uses borrowings especially from Romanic sources (Latin/French) and from Greek. The paper suggests that for such cases learner's dictionaries should give more active guidance and support, in view of the fact that many foreign learners will be from linguistic backgrounds where different, more native morphological processes are more common. An appendix lists the major examples of such derivatives. Keywords: learner's dictionaries, pedagogical lexicography, dictionary design, foreign language teaching, morphology, morphological opacity and transparency, structure and character of the lexicon.

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's English Dictionary (review)

Reviews1 43 Merriam-Webster'sAdvanced Learner's English Dictionary. 2008. Springfield: Merriam-Webster. Pp. 2016. JL b 1IiC world of dictionaries for advanced learners of English has long been dominated by two British publishers: Oxford University Press, which published the first modern learner's dictionary, die learner's Dictionary of Current F.nglkh (now the Oxford Advanced learner's Dictionary, or OAlJ)), in 1948; and Longman, which entered the market with die Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (IJ)OCF) in 1 978. Both publishers have followed dieir flagship products with dictionaries for intermediate and basic learners, with picture dictionaries, and with electronic products. In 1981, Longman published an American version of its intermediate-level dictionary as the Ixmgman Dictionary ofAmerican English, and for more than a decade this dictionary was about all diat was available to learners who preferred American English—die huge market of students living and working in die United States, as well as learners outside die US (particularly in Japan and many countries in die Americas). American dictionary publishers did not specialize in dictionaries for learners and were relative latecomers in spotting die market potential in ESL products. When diey did decide to enter die fray in die 1990s, diey badly miscalculated. Some, such as Merriam-Webster and Webster's New World, created "basic" dictionaries by adapting an existing data set; others, such as Heinle, Random House, and NTC, opted for single-audior works. These books showed little or no evidence diat dieir compilers were aware ofwhat by dien was more dian forty years' wordi of research and innovation in die production of learner's dictionaries—of die importance of using a controlled defining vocabulary, of showing pronunciations in the International Phonetic Alphabet, ofshowing grammatical patterns, of examining corpora oflearners' essays to aid in die writing ofusage notes, ofusing corpora to determine die relative frequency ofwords, patterns, and expressions so as to aid in making inclusion decisions. In die meantime, bodi Cambridge University Press and Longman produced new corpus-based editions of intermediate-level American dictionaries, and Longman published the lemgman Advanced American Dictionary, essentially an Americanized version of the Ixmgman Dictionary ofContemporary Englkh. With the exception of die Newbury House dictionaries published by Heinle, which have had some success, the home-grown American products have not presented a real challenge to the dominance of the American English learner's dictionary market by British publishers. A decade ago, die publishers at Merriam-Webster saw, quite righüy, that there was room for a strong American contender, and set out to produce one. The resulting dictionary, Merriam-Webster's Advanced learner's F.nglkh Dictionary (MWAlJJ)), largely avoids the clear weaknesses of its predecessors, and represents a solid, well-edited, and authoritative resource. In reviewing the text, I will make reference to its chiefcompetitors, the Dictionaries: journal ofthe Dictionary Society ofNorth America 30 (2009), 143-150 144Reviews Macmillan F'.nglkh Dictionaryfor Advanced Learners ofAmerican F.nglkh (MFD) and the Longman Advanced American Dictionary (IAAl)) . Headwords and the Organization of Entries The number ofdiscrete lexical items—"100,000 words and phrases"—that are defined in MWAIFJ) is comparable to that of its competitors. Most learner's dictionaries list each part ofspeech as a separate homograph; MWAUDAso gives separate homographs for etymologically distinct words, e.g., calf the baby cow and the calf of your leg. It includes some British English terms and expressions, much as British dictionaries include some American ones. But sometimes the choice of inclusion is odd, and I suspect this may be because while the MerriamWebster citation resources are voluminous, a citation bank does not have the characteristics of a corpus that make it possible for a lexicographer tojudge centrality and frequency when considering whether to include a given term. Thus MWAIFJ) has an entry for cloud-cuckoo-land while the British edition of MFJ) does not include the American equivalent, la-la land; yet MWAIJD fails to provide an entry for earlier, even though this comparative form is frequent and its use should be illustrated for learners. MWIAFJ) gives the pronunciation of headwords in the International Phonetic Alphabet, which is now the undisputed norm for a learner's dictionary. Unfortunately , stress patterns are not shown...

The first English learner's dictionary: the Chinese dimension

Reflections on the Oxford Advanced Learner's English-Chinese Dictionary and its mother book, the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

Review: Macmillan Essential Dictionary for Learners of English

Review: Macmillan Essential Dictionary for Learners of English

MEDAL: a Fifth Dictionary for Learners of English

MEDAL: a Fifth Dictionary for Learners of English

Bridge Dictionaries as Bridges Between Languages

Bridge dictionaries are a new sort of dictionary for learners of English. They are based on the monolingual Cobuild learners’ dictionaries, and they are partly translated—they contain translated definitions and translation equivalents. This paper shows the possible ways of exploiting Bridge dictionaries for creating new bilingual or multilingual dictionaries. One possible way is to extract corresponding translation equivalents, edit them, and make a new printed dictionary. As both sides of such a dictionary were originally created as translations from English, the dictionary requires quite a lot of lexicographic work. Another possibility is to create an electronic version of the dictionary “as is”. For this purpose, it is necessary to convert the dictionary first into SGML format and define its DTD. This format can then serve as a standard for future Bridge dictionaries and adding new language modules to existing dictionaries would be quite easy.

Monolingual Dictionaries for Foreign Learners of English

Monolingual Dictionaries for Foreign Learners of English

EVALUATING LEARNER DICTIONARIES: WHAT THE REVIEWS SAY

This paper presents and discusses the findings of a survey which examines reviews of English learner dictionaries. The focus is on various aspects, such as the identity of the reviewers and intended readers, the stated purpose, the evaluation process, the different kinds of lexicographical and linguistic information discussed, the conclusions drawn, and the tone adopted. The findings of the survey suggest that most dictionary reviews are factual and descriptive rather than evaluative, and only in some cases is the evaluation based on a principled study of any kind. It is suggested that for such reviews to be truly useful to their intended readers, they should be evaluative and that at least part of the evaluation should be based on a study of the use of the dictionary by target users. © 2001

NTC's American English learner's dictionary: the essential vocabulary of American language and culture

This simplified dictionary of American English, containing over 22,000 words, phrases, and idioms, is an essential reference for English learners at all levels. Definitions are given in plain English, parts of speech are identified, and there is abundant cross-referencing.

Dictionaries for Learners of English

Dictionaries for Learners of English

Longman Dictionary of American English: A Dictionary for Learners of English

Longman Dictionary of American English: A Dictionary for Learners of English

The Dictionary and Vocabulary Behavior: A Single Word or a Handful?

Choosing the most appropriate dictionary for students in the ESOL classroom is a recurrent problem. So as to provide a context for dictionary selection, this article presents a view of vocabulary referred to as vocabulary behavior. By making an explicit distinction between spoken and written English, this view reveals the relation between dictionary use, classroom vocabulary behavior and student success in meeting their communicative needs. An argument in support of the choice of a monolingual English learner's dictionary is presented. Whereas a bilingual dictionary tends to encourage the employment of a single lexical item, the monolingual dictionary demonstrates that definition is an alternative. Through use of a monolingual dictionary, students are led to the use of conversational definition in speech and thus benefit from the full range of resources offered in spoken English. Questionnaire data is presented describing the dictionary habits and preferences of a population of Japanese university students of English.

A Comprehensive Listing of Dictionaries Published in the United States and Great Britain during 1977

A COMPREHENSIVE LISTING OF DICTIONARIES PUBLISHED IN THE UNITED STATES AND GREAT BRITAIN DURING 1977 Kathleen Gaul Abercrombie, Michael The Penguin Dictionary of Biology, by M. Abercrombie, C. J. Hickman, and M. L. Johnson. New ed. New York: Viking Press, 1977. The American Heritage School Dictionary. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1977. [A dictionary for use in grades four through eleven.] Ammer, Christine Dictionary of Business and Economics, by Christine Ammer and Dean Ammer. New York: Free Press, 1977. Anderson, Robert Arthur Lexicon of Literary Terms, by R. A. Anderson and Ronald Eckart. New York: Monarch Press, 1977. Arora, Shirley Lease Proverbial Comparisons and Related Expressions in Spanish: Recorded in Los Angeles, California. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1977. Bannock, G. The Penguin Dictionary ofEconomics, by G. Bannock, R. E. Baxter, and R. Rees. London: Allen Lane, 1977. Barnhart, Clarence L., Ed. World Book Dictionary, edited by C. L. Barnhart and Robert K. Barnhart. Chicago: Field Enterprises Educational Corp., 1977. [Two volumes] Betteridge,HaroldT.,Ed. Cassell's German Dictionary: German-English, English-German. Based on the editions by Karl Breul, completely revised and re-edited. New York: Macmillan, 1977. 133 134KATHLEEN GAUL Berger, Alfred H. Dictionary of Psychology: English-German/Worterbuch der Psychologie: Englisch-Deutsch. New York: Unger, 1977. Bevington, Jeffrey Dixey My First Dictionary All in Colour. London: Hamlyn, 1977. Bingham, SheUa Dictionary ofNutrition: A Consumer's Guide to the Facts ofFood. London : Barrie and Jenkins, 1977. Bullock, Alan, Ed. The Harper Dictionary of Modem Thought, edited by A. BuUock and Oliver StaUybrass. New York: Harper and Row, 1977. Burnam, Tom The Dictionary ofMisinformation. New York: BaUantine, 1977. Butler, BiU Dictionary of the Tarot. New York: Schocken Books, 1977. Carbone, Linda Dictionary ofSewing Terminology. New York: Arco, 1977. Carman, WiUiam Young A Dictionary ofMilitary Uniform. New York: Scribner, 1977. Carver, David J., Comp. Collins'English Learner's Dictionary, compüed by D. J. Carver, Michael J. WaUace, John Cameron. London: Collins, 1977. Cassell's French Dictionary: French-English, English-French. Completely revised by Denis Girard, with the assistance of Gaston Dulong, OUver Van Oss, and Charles Guinness. New York: MacmiUan, 1977. CastiUo, Carlos, Comp. The University of Chicago Spanish Dictionary: A New Concise SpanishEnglish and English-Spanish Dictionary of Words and Phrases Basic to the Written and Spoken Language of Today, Plus a List of 1 000 Spanish Idioms and Sayings with Variants and English Equivalents. Compüed by C. CastiUo and Otto F. Bond, with the assistance of Barbara M. Garcia; revised by D. Lincoln Canfield. 3rd. edition, revised and enlarged. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1977. Chandor, Anthony A Dictionary of Computers, by A. Chandor with John Graham and Robin WUUamson. 2nd edition. New York: Penguin, 1977. LISTING OF DICTIONARIES135 Chetwynd, Tom Dictionary for Dreamers. St. Albans, Eng.: Paladin Books, 1977. Chi, Wen-shun, Comp. Chinese English Dictionary of Contemporary Usage, compUed by W. Chi, with the assistance of John S. Service, Mei-hsia Huang, and Chi-ping Chen. Berkeley: University of CaUfornia Press, 1977. Christie, Barbara, Ed. Collins' Junior Dictionary, edited by B. Christie and R. H. Thomas. London : Collins, 1977. Clason.W. E., Comp. Elsevier's Dictionary of Measurement and Control; in Six Languages, English/American-French-Italian-Spanish-Dutch and German. New York: Elsevier Scientific Publications, 1977. Cohen, Einya A New Dictionary of Sign Language: Employing the Eshkol-Wachmann Movement Notation System. By E. Cohen and LUa Namir. Paris: Mouton, 1977. Cuddon, John Anthony A Dictionary ofLiterary Terms. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1977. Cunningham, W. T., Ed. The Nelson Contemporary English Dictionary. Sunbury-on-Thames: Nelson , 1977. Daintith, John, Ed. A Dictionary ofPhysical Sciences. New York: Pica Press, 1977. Daum, Edmund A Dictionary of Russian Verbs; Bases of Inflection, Aspects, Regimen, Stressing, Meanings, Syntax and Semantics of the Verb in Present-Day Russian by Rudolf Ruzicka. By E. Daum and Werner Schenck. New York: Hippocrene Books, 1977. Davids, Lewis E. Dictionary of Insurance. 5th edition. Totowa, NJ.: Littlefield, Adams, 1977. Dills, Lanie The 'Official' CB Slanguage Language Dictionary, Including CrossReference . Edited by Dot GUbertson and Joan Wheeler. New enlarged edition. New York: [distributed by] L. J. Martin, 1977. 136KATHLEENGAUL Dorian, Angelo Francis, Comp. Dictionary of Science and Technology: English/German. 2nd Revised edition . New York...