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Dictionaries
Part 8
Part 8 of this free
online ESL course teaches the student how to use the
dictionary to pronounce English better. The dictionary is
the best tool the ESL student can have. With a good
dictionary, a little effort, and the right know-how
ESL students can learn
how to pronounce English like a native speaker.
At The Click of a
Mouse
Internet spoils us. We
have all the dictionaries available at the click of the
mouse. We put in a word and we immediately get the
translation, or a definition. It’s all there on the PC.
Victual dictionaries are
useful, and ESL students should use them. This does not
mean he/she doesn’t need a physical dictionary. I don’t
mean a French-English-French or a Russian-English-Russian
dictionary. I’m talking about an English-English
dictionary which gives you information such as:
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Spelling - The
spelling of a word may change over the years. In many
cases, the British and the Americans have different
spellings.
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Definition - Some
words have more than one definition. We can’t stop at
the first one. We have to see and understand the
different definitions before we choose.
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Word origin
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Part of speech -
Verbs, Nouns, Adverbs, Adjectives
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Idioms
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Antonyms – These are
words with an opposite meaning.
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Synonyms - These are
words with the same meaning.
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Pronunciation.
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How to Buy a
Dictionary
Be sure you have an
up-to-date dictionary. The price of the 1970 dictionary is
low, but a lot of the words we use today aren’t in it.
Look Through the
Dictionary Before Buying It
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Most good
dictionaries have a Guide to the Use of The
Dictionary in the first few pages. It is
worth looking at. The guide tells us how the
dictionary is set up and what we can find in it.
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There is always a
pronunciation guide. Sometimes it is on a separate
page and sometimes it is as a footnote on each page.
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Look for a Foreign
Sound pronunciation guide.
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Punctuation guide
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Special signs and
symbols
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List of abbreviations
and symbols used in the dictionary
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Maps
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Flag
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Variation in the
English language
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Assignment:
Although Internet
dictionaries are great learning tools, language students
should not overlook physical dictionaries.
Go and buy a dictionary.
The cover is not important. It’s the inside of the
dictionary which is important.
Don’t rush. Take all the
time necessary. Look through it.
Be sure it is up-to-date
and it is user-friendly.
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