Resources

Written by Dr. Chris Merkelbach, Mr. John Ring and Ms. Judy MacKinnon

Although dictionaries have been around for more than 2,000 years, most people fail to use them to their full potential. For example, foreign language learners often use dictionaries only as bilingual glossaries. In doing so, they ignore the wealth of information dictionaries offer. However, this is not really the language learner's fault since most learners do not know how to utilize all of the information dictionaries contain. Even many language teachers are ignorant of the amount of the assistance which good dictionaries can provide. Because of this, dictionary skills are very seldom taught in foreign language classes. This is unfortunate because when you learn a foreign language, dictionaries should be your best friends.

In this article, we will not introduce a specific dictionary for you to use in your foreign language class, but instead, we will show you what a good language dictionary can offer you as a language learner. This information will enable you to choose the most suitable dictionary for you, your 「personal」 dictionary.

What does the word 「dictionary」 actually mean? This is quite an important question since, as you know, this word can be translated into Chinese in many different ways.

First, we should differentiate between a dictionary and an encyclopedia. The former describes words from a linguistic perspective. It gives information about how a word fits into a language and how it is used by speakers of that language. An encyclopedia, on the other hand, does not concern itself with linguistic information. Instead, it gives a whole range of information about certain words or topics. For example, if you were to look up 「automobile」 in a dictionary, it would tell you its definition, how to pronounce it, that it was a count noun, etc. An encyclopedia would not tell you this information but instead would tell you who invented it, how it was invented, how it was manufactured, how it revolutionized society, etc.

So now you clearly understand what we mean by a dictionary, but you must also be aware that there are many different types of dictionaries. Some dictionaries are monolingual, while others are bilingual. Bilingual dictionaries are often simply glossaries that list the meanings of words in different languages. This type of literal translation is quite often inaccurate, as similar ideas are often expressed differently in different languages. Monolingual dictionaries can give information that can be divided into three subcategories: the aspect of meaning, the aspect of system, and the aspect of usage. The aspect of meaning, of course, concerns definitions. The aspect of system concerns spelling, sound, synonyms, antonyms, and collocations. The aspect of usage not only concerns meanings, but also how meanings change over time, where words are derived from, and which foreign words appear in a language. Some dictionaries are entirely devoted just to one particular aspect, while other dictionaries include information from different aspects. The following chart summarizes the categorization of dictionaries:

Dictionaries

Monolingual	The aspect of meaning:	Dictionary of meaning
	The aspect of system:	Orthographic dictionary
		Phonetic dictionary
		Dictionary of synonyms/antonyms
		Dictionary of collocations
		Reverse dictionary
	The aspect of usage:	Dictionary of meaning
		Diachronic dictionary
		Dictionary of foreign words
Bilingual	Chinese – German
	German – French
	Spanish – Swahili
	Thai – Japanese

So you can see that different types of information can be found in dictionaries, but to varying degrees. Most dictionaries start with the meaning of a word. After that, phonetic information, usually in the form of a phonetic transcription, is given when necessary. This is one area in which electronic dictionaries are advantageous because the phonetic information can be presented as a sound file. Following the phonetic information, various kinds of grammatical information and irregularities are presented.

But these three types of information are not enough. A dictionary suitable for a language learner should also give the learner the chance to broaden his or her mental lexicon, which is the web of words stored in his or her brain. In order to show the language learner how the words are used in a foreign language, a dictionary appropriate for a language learner should also present collocations, synonyms, antonyms, hyponyms (fruit->apple) and hyperonyms (apple->fruit) as well as example sentences. In addition to these, compounds that include the original word as a constituent (room - classroom) or attribution (room – room service) should be presented as should any kind of derivation from the basic word (truth – truthful – truthfulness – true).

Lastly, a good dictionary should provide diasystematic markings. Diasystematic markings contain information about the usage of a word, such as the level of style or the attitude of the speaker. For example, they will indicate whether a word is formal or informal. In formal writing, you should refer to a male as a man, but in informal writing, the word guy is more commonly used. These markings can help guide the language learner to use the right word in the right situation. The chart below shows some important markings:

Language & Style	{poet}	poetic
	{liter}	literary
	{fml}	formal
	{infml}	informal
	{vulg}	vulgar
Language & Attitude	{euph}	euphemistic
	{fig}	Figurative
	{hum}	humourous
	{iron}	ironical
	{pej}	pejorative
	{prov}	provocative
Language & Time	{dated}	becoming outdated
	{old}	outdated
	{hist}	historical
Language & Region	{AM}	American
	{AUS}	Australian
	{IND}	Indian
	{Nbrit}	Northern British
	{Irish}	Irish
	{NZ}	New Zealand
Language & Science	{Agr}	Agriculture
	{Geol}	Geology
	{Pol}	Political Science
	{Med}	Medical

As you can see, in choosing a dictionary, you need to consider whether it has clear definitions, whether the phonetic information is helpful to you, and whether there is enough information to help you understand how to use a word. It is also important to find a dictionary that does not simply offer direct translations without additional information on context and usage.

Now you know what can be found inside a good dictionary. But please remember that a dictionary that is good for you might not necessarily be good for someone else. So don't ask someone to recommend a good dictionary to you. Go to a library, check out different dictionaries, and analyze them according to the criteria mentioned above. Then go to a bookstore and buy the newest edition.

It doesn't matter whether your dictionary is a printed one or an electronic one. Many publishers offer an electronic version along with the printed version, and this electronic version, usually on a CD-ROM, often provides more examples than the printed version. In addition, most electronic versions also provide information on collocation and usage as well as a wide range of synonyms and antonyms.

Once you have purchased a suitable dictionary, is that the end of the story? Not at all. A dictionary is no good when it sits on a bookshelf; it is only good if you use it frequently. At first it may seem to take a lot of time and be frustrating, but it will get better. Using a dictionary is like driving—you might have to go slowly in the beginning, but the better your skills get, the faster you can go without causing accidents.