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Online English-English Learner Dictionaries Boost Word Learning “Vocabulary Is One of Those Things Where the Rich Get Richer.” —Dr

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Online English-English Learner Dictionaries Boost Word Learning “Vocabulary Is One of Those Things Where the Rich Get Richer.” —Dr Ulugbek Nurmukhamedov Online English-English Learner Dictionaries Boost Word Learning “Vocabulary is one of those things where the rich get richer.” —Dr. Eli Hinkel (Editorial Board 2009) earners of English might be they become familiar with diction­ familiar with several online ary features (Nesi and Haill 2002; monolingual dictionaries that Rizo-Rodríguez 2004). For this rea­ Lare not necessarily the best choic­ son, ESL/EFL teachers should learn es for the English as Second/Foreign about and introduce the several excel­ Language (ESL/EFL) context. In my lent online dictionaries with features experience while teaching ESL at an especially designed for learners of intensive English program in the Unit­ English. These online dictionaries ed States, learners of English often promote strategic and effective word consult sources like Dictionary.com learning, but it is critical for learn­ (www.dictionary.com) and Merriam- ers to be trained by teachers who are Webster (www.merriam-webster.com). familiar with proper dictionary use so Although these monolingual online that the online dictionaries are used dictionaries contain definitions, pro­ to maximum benefit in the class­ nunciation guides, and other elements room. The best online learner dic­ normally found in general-use diction­ tionaries include (1) a corpus-based aries, they are compiled with native compilation of words; (2) word fre­ or near-native speakers of English in quency data; (3) collocation guides; mind, not for learners of English. Eng­ (4) authentic examples of how words lish learners tend to gravitate to these are used; and (5) topical vocabulary dictionaries because they are seemingly from different disciplines. This article unaware of other dictionaries that are will help teachers become aware of specifically designed for them. these important features and also pro­ Research on dictionary use in vide suggestions on how to integrate second language teaching indicates dictionary-related exercises into their learners of English gain much when ESL/EFL lesson plans. 10 2 0 1 2 N UMBER 4 | E NGLISH T EACHING F ORUM Learner dictionaries 1. Cambridge Learner’s Dictionary (CLD) Learner dictionaries designed for ESL/EFL http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/learner-english students offer information on a word’s differ­ ent meanings, the ways that certain words are 2. Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (CALD) used together, example sentences, explana­ http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british tory notes, and many other features that are 3. Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (LDCE) included with the learner in mind. Due to www.ldoceonline.com advances in technology, learner dictionar­ ies come in many forms: hard-copy books, 4. Macmillan Dictionary (MD) CD-ROM, online, and even in applications www.macmillandictionary.com for smartphones, tablet computers, and other mobile devices. Most of the recent English- 5. Merriam-Webster Learner’s Dictionary (MWLD) English learner dictionaries, particularly those www.learnersdictionary.com published after 2005, come with a hard copy 6. Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (OALD) and a CD-ROM. The CD-ROM offers useful www.oxfordadvancedlearnersdictionary.com features not found in the hard copy, which include: Table 1. Online English-English learner dictionaries • pronunciation guides (usually for both British and American language varieties) When teachers become familiar with the • electronic writing tools (designed to most useful elements of learner dictionaries, improve learners’ writing) they can easily incorporate dictionary-based • quick find (clicking on a word in a text activities into their lesson plans. The follow­ gives its definition) ing sections focus on five important features • picture dictionaries (mostly in color) and provide suggestions on how teachers can • extra grammar and vocabulary exercises enable students to recognize and use the fea­ (to enhance learning) tures to help them learn English. • vocabulary notes (an electronic version of a vocabulary diary) Dictionary feature 1: • wildcard functions (looking up words Corpus-based dictionaries without knowing their exact spelling) The dictionaries listed in Table 1 are cor- pus-based, which means the content is based It is important to point out that all of these on real-world spoken and written discourse features are designed to help students learn when words, definitions, and examples are new words strategically and enjoyably (see selected and organized. Church (2008) claims Rizo-Rodríguez [2008] for more information that corpus-based dictionaries “describe how about CD-ROM dictionaries). When these language is actually used, as opposed to how it features become the focus, they help learners ought to be used” (334). Thus, definitions for with efficient dictionary use and effective a word are sequenced based on their frequency vocabulary learning (McCarthy and O’Dell of use, and example sentences in corpus-based 2005). dictionaries are authentic. This sequencing The six online English-English learner makes it easy for learners of English to focus dictionaries in Table 1, freely available on first on frequent words and meanings that the Internet, share many of the features of will give them the most mileage. When both CD-ROM dictionaries. They provide learners teachers and learners of English appreciate the with information about word meanings and influence of corpus-based research on learner word frequency, easy-to-read definitions, word dictionaries, they begin to see the distinct combination choices, and explanatory notes. advantage of corpus-based learner dictionaries However, even though these online dictionar­ as opposed to non-corpus dictionaries. ies share similar features, some of the features differ in terms of information representation, Teacher application usability, interface, and user friendliness. For It is important to raise both the teacher’s this reason, a gentle learning curve faces stu­ and the learner’s awareness about differenc­ dents and teachers alike. es in the way that general-use dictionaries E NGLISH T ECHINGA F ORUM | N UMBER 4 2 0 1 2 11 and corpus-based dictionaries are compiled. words in academic texts. It is important to Language teachers can provide learners with note that the second 1,000 words on the list eye-opening activities to explain the distinc­ drop considerably in frequency, covering 6 tions between the two types of dictionaries percent of conversations, 4.7 percent of news­ (see Reppen 2010 for detailed activities). For paper articles, and 4.6 percent of academic example, teachers can pick two or three words texts. Word-frequency issues merit a separate that their students will profit from learning article, and interested readers can learn more (e.g., appointment, breakfast, and discrimi­ about frequency lists at www.lextutor.ca/freq/ nate). The words could come from a reading lists_download (maintained by Tom Cobb). passage or a video that the students have just Some online corpus-based dictionaries use read or watched, or will be assigned to read special designations to indicate particular or watch. The teacher writes these words on a words that will be encountered a large number blackboard or has the students write the words of times. For example, the OALD places a key- on a piece of paper, and asks them to check shaped icon next to high-frequency words. In the definition from one general-use dictionary addition to the first and second 1,000-word (e.g., dictionary.com or www.merriam-webster frequency lists, the OALD indicates the words .com) and one online learner dictionary that are commonly used in academic texts from Table 1 as a homework assignment. (Coxhead 2006). The MD uses a red font to Teachers can do this activity in a classroom if identify more than 7,000 words that are most there is access to the Internet. After the stu­ often used in oral and written communication dents finish the activity at home or in class, and also places one star (lower frequency) to the teacher asks whether the information three stars (higher frequency) after each word presented in the general-use and the learner to further distinguish levels of frequency use. dictionary is different or the same. Students Reinforcing the importance of the high-fre­ state which type of dictionary contains more quency word lists makes English learning more useful information about the words. When efficient and strategic because learners know contrasting these two types of dictionaries, which words to learn first. Teachers can use the students are likely to observe that learner dic­ following activity to help the learners notice tionaries recommend more level-appropriate and acquire high- and low-frequency words. useful tips about words than the general-use dictionaries. After this activity, the students Teacher application might look for additional helpful elements in Conscientious students often want to learn the learner dictionaries. each and every word they encounter when they read a text, listen to a lecture, or talk to Dictionary feature 2: Word frequency other people. These types of learners, often Knowing whether a word is used a lot lower-proficiency or beginning-level students, (high frequency) or a little (low frequency) attempt to learn all the words or expressions in overall written and spoken discourse is they encounter by making a huge list in their very helpful information to English learn­ vocabulary notebooks. Unavoidably, these ers; that makes corpus-based dictionaries a lists include both high- and low-frequency must for the ESL/EFL classroom. Because words and expressions. While we do not high-frequency words are important for lan­ want to dissuade learners from being word guage learners, several vocabulary research­ collectors, we can help them become more ers encourage language teachers to spend strategic word learners. To do so, teachers can considerable time on them (Nation 2001; raise their students’ awareness about word Schmitt 2000). According to Nation (2001, frequency and its importance in word learn­ 17), the first 1,000 of 2,000 high-frequency ing. This also helps learners select dictionaries words cover 84.3 percent of conversations, with the best word-frequency features.
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