Choosing Learner’s Dictionaries: What to Consider

Julia Eka RiniCONEST 6

Petra Christian UniversityLTBI Atma Jaya Catholic University

 Nov 30-Dec 1, 2009

What is compared• content • the way of presenting information• Macmillan English Dictionary for

Advanced Learners(MED) (2002) • Cambridge Advanced Learner's

Dictionary (CALD) (2003).

Headwords – “square”MED CALD

Basis: wordclass Basis: meaning. four headwords with homograph numbers: noun, adjective, verb, adverb

five entries of "square"; same wordclass can appear repeatedly

Basis: frequency Basis: core meaning -in red-As adjective two stars (very common words) - as verb one star (fairly common words)

-all in blue-E" (stands for "essential") inside a circle, the most common and useful word -A (stands for advanced, namely words to make your English really fluent and natural) inside a circle

MED CALDmore than four lexical units in MED, the core meaning is written in a separate box under the headword.

no such numbered summary written separately in a box; only the meanings of each homograph and the title of separate "phrasal verbs with square" are written in a separate box.

Definitions

• content.– definitions should not be lengthy or

vague.• form

– the language used for encoding its content, and this includes grammatical structures as well as words" ;it should not be difficult to understand.

Atkins and Rundell (2008:431)

• MED has 2500 defining words• No defining words. CALD uses

easy words and structure, e.g. If you….

• at least one example in both dictionaries due to the type of users. Since both MED and CALD are for advanced learners, they might need the dictionaries for both decoding and encoding purposes.

MED CALDSTYLE The same, informal is written in full

wordregional labels

-square / / verb [T] "square the circle" Br E (British English) -Am E (American English),

UK, US

Grammar

Transitive - [T]Countable - [C]

Pronunciation

Variation not given given

us

Cross reference in CALD

• The Square Mile UK the City->See at the City FINANCIAL CENTRE.

• This also provides some cultural information about that particular place.

• Only CALD has domain label; it is written "specialized" and an example is given (see "square" with the meaning of "shape" as adjective.

Cross referencein MED

Square1 a shape….1a1b one of the small sections that the

board is divided into in games such as chess and draughts – picture --> SHAPE

MED and CALD have separate blocks for fixed expression, idioms and phrasal verbs.

CALD MED

"square the circle" is put under "square" as a verb. The difference is in phrasal verbs.

phrasal verbs are put under "square" as verb.

a separate section for phrasal verbs because it organizes the headword based on meaning.

Compounds are given headword status

Common learner errorDo not use mortal to describe an illness that can

kill someone. Mortal can be used with this meaning, but it is a formal, literary word and you should use the word fatal instead.

We can now cure diseases which were mortal a few years ago

We can now cure diseases which were fatal a few years ago

MED CALD

- idiom finder word families

Defining vocabulary (2500 words)

-

Pragmatic information - "How should Iknow?" expression of feelings in words or sentences like this can influence communication in the real world

Language awareness

Study sections

Idiom finder

Idiom finderfight a losing battle p456 a heavy cross to bear p291be like a bear with a sore head p97

Word familiesNouns Adjectiv

esVerbs Adverbs

public, publication, publicist, publicity

public publicize

publicly

punishment punishable,punishing

punish punishingly

purification, purist, purity, impurity, purifier

pure, impure

purify purely

Language Awareness in MED

• Numbers• Phrasal verbs• Academic writing• Metaphor• Computer words

Language Awarenesscontinued

• Pragmatics• Spoken discourse• Sensitivity: avoiding offence• British and American English• Business English• Word formation