Current Lexicographical Tools in EFL: Monolingual Resources for the Advanced Learner
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Review Article Current lexicographical tools in EFL: monolingual resources for the advanced learner Alfonso Rizo-Rodrıguez´ Department of English, University of Jaen,´ Spain 1. Introduction requires much attention and effort on the part of the conscientious teacher (see Atkins, 1998; Cowie, A rich variety of lexicographical descriptions is 1987, 1999; Dolezal and McCreary, 1999; Hartmann, available in English, and there is no doubt that this 2001; Humble,´ 2001; Ilson, 1985; Nesi, 2000; Rizo- contributes to its status as a world language. The Rodr´ıguez, 1993; Wright, 1998). A syllabus of teaching and learning of English can draw not only on dictionary-using skills should promote, among other a deep-rooted tradition of varied grammatical studies aptitudes, a reasonable degree of familiarisation with but also on a large range of dictionaries. For the non- essential lexicographical works as well as a capacity to native observer conversant with the nature of this choose the dictionary which best fits the user’s level language, its history, its development, its vocabulary and linguistic needs (receptive and productive). There and grammar, that huge stock of lexicographical is thus an urgent need to raise awareness of current resources is particularly useful. lexicographical resources, since the user of English In TEFL, emphasis is often placed on the ex- will gain much from being thoroughly familiar with ploitation of appropriate grammars and usage books, them. while dictionaries may receive less attention. This is The present paper aims to provide an up-to-date, all the more surprising given the problems that comprehensive overview of current advanced-level English vocabulary poses for non-native users in areas English dictionaries for undergraduate and graduate like false friends, subtle nuances of meaning, verb- students of English, as well as EFL/ESL teachers, particle combinations, or lexical and grammatical researchers, and language professionals. The selection collocations. This state of affairs is often a conse- and analysis of the dictionaries presented, comprising quence of a lack of knowledge of the most adequate both classic titles and more recent publications, is dictionaries, of how to use them and of the benefits user-oriented: these lexicographical resources are they can provide. At university level, for instance, treated as reference tools at the disposal of the the English lecturer often sees that students only advanced user of English. occasionally use a monolingual dictionary and that Due to limitations of space and the vast scope those who do so on a regular basis are usually aware of the field, no claim is made for exhaustiveness. of one or two specific titles only. On the other However, every effort has been made to offer a hand, the bilingual dictionary is widely used, though review which both reflects the state of the art in this for certain reference needs this tool may not be area of lexicography and pinpoints the idiosyncrasies as suitable as the monolingual one (e.g. getting to of each title and its adequacy for specific reference know the frequency of common headwords and their purposes. collocational preferences, using a correct syntactic In fact, in the field of ‘dictionary research’ verb pattern, or choosing a term stylistically (Hartmann, 1992: 151) there are numerous in- appropriate for a given context). Again, knowledge depth analyses of single dictionaries available. These about special-purpose dictionaries or electronic usually take the form of review articles: recent ones works is usually very superficial. include those by Klotz (2003) and van der Meer and The field of dictionary instruction, then, closely Sansome (2001), for example. But detailed analyses related to the so-called dictionary-using skills, of individual lexicographical works can also be found in articles and books on pedagogical lexicography – for instance, Cowie (1999), Herbst and Popp (1999), Dr. Alfonso Rizo-Rodr´ıguez (Ph.D., University of Heuberger (2000), Humble´ (2001), Rundell (1998), Granada) is senior lecturer in English linguistics at Stark (1999) –, and also in other monographs: Berg the University of Jaen,´ Spain, where he was Head of (1993) and Morton (1994). Two excellent sources of the Department of English (1987–1995). His research bibliographical information on a large variety of both interests comprise English grammar and lexicographical individual and contrastive reviews of dictionaries are theory. His publications include a two-volume monograph Dolezal and McCreary (1999) and Chan and Taylor on verb complementation in English, Los verbos (2001). catenativos ingleses (Granada University Press), as well Three different classes of dictionaries are reviewed as numerous articles on diverse grammatical aspects, and in this bibliographical survey – monolingual learners’, on dictionary use and criticism. general monolingual and special-purpose – and three formats – printed, CD-ROM and online – are Lang. Teach. 37, 29–46. DOI: 10.1017/S0261444804002125 Printed in the United Kingdom c 2004 Cambridge University Press 29 Current lexicographical tools in EFL ■ considered. Most of the works are descriptions Representativeness results from sampling a broad of British English, though some dictionaries of range of text types, genres and registers, while balance American English are also included. For reasons of is a kind of internal proportion in the texts forming space, the bilingual lexicography of English and the acorpus. major world languages is not discussed here. Current dictionary-making can benefit a lot from corpus support, if both requirements are met. Thus 2. State-of-the-art: general overview the lexicographer has access to millions of words used in real contexts; moreover, the increasing In their exemplary accounts of the current state of size of ‘monitor corpora’ (continually updated) the art in English pedagogical lexicography, Rundell proves indispensable for certain lexicographical tasks (1998) and Cowie (1999), themselves the authors of requiring abundant evidence, such as the ordering of well-known dictionaries, draw our attention to some senses of words according to frequency, the selection general features of the field: enormous growth, as of the core vocabulary,the indication of the frequency shown in the publication of new titles every year; of specific terms/structures, the identification of strong competition among publishers, fostered by collocational patterns, etc.. Genuine texts (oral and the increasing demand for teaching materials; and written) constitute an excellent source of authentic technological advances in the form of both computer examples, and the large variety of current available tools for the processing of linguistic information databases (learner text, spoken/written databases, and large size corpora or lexical databases held on corpora of regional varieties of English, etc.) as well computers. as the diversity of genres and registers represented Due to these factors, the user of English has (e.g. literature, journalistic prose, radio broadcasts, available a wealth of reference materials: new editions interviews, casual conversation, scientific journals, of traditional masterpieces, innovative dictionaries World English) is a rich source of new and reliable showing a variety of original elements, and newer data. This data may inform us about the actual usage formats – electronic and online. This in addition of very common words in spoken English, about to the well-known classic works. 2003 has been a expressions typical of particular English-speaking memorable year for English lexicography. Numerous countries, about characteristic mistakes made by new titles have appeared and bear witness to learners, etc. (See Cowie, 1999: ch. 4; Landau, 2001: growth on a large scale: Cambridge Advanced Learner’s ch. 6; Ooi, 1998: ch. 3; Rundell, 1998). Dictionary with CD-ROM, Longman Dictionary Among the main corpora of English, each of them of Contemporary English (4th edition) with CD- employed in specific lexicographical projects, we find ROM, Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary (16th the following: edition) with CD-ROM, Oxford Phrasebuilder Genie CD-ROM Dictionary, CD-ROM Britannica 2003,and — The Cambridge International Corpus: a 600 million Roget’s Interactive Thesaurus, among others. Moreover, word database of written and spoken English. It also new titles, like the Collins Cobuild Advanced Learner’s includes two subcorpora: CANCODE (5 million English Dictionary (4th edition) with CD-ROM, are word Cambridge and Nottingham Corpus of announced for early 2004. Discourse in English, a project of Cambridge One of the major driving forces behind the University Press and the University of Nottingham), advances of English lexicography is precisely the use and The Cambridge Learner Corpus (15 million of large-scale corpora supplying the lexicographer words of exam scripts written by learners of with enormous amounts of linguistic evidence English from all over the world), monitored by which can eventually be used in the elaboration of Cambridge University Press and Cambridge ESOL, dictionaries. Interestingly, Cowie (1999: 1) notes that the University of Cambridge Local Examinations the rapid, ever-increasing development of corpora Syndicate. It is the property of Cambridge in the last few years – termed by Rundell (1998: 320) University Press, which uses it for the elaboration the ‘corpus revolution’ – has been brought about of its dictionaries. uk.cambridge.org/elt/corpus/ by this growing market. In