how to purchase english dictionary

How to Purchase an English Dictionary 1

How to Purchase an English Dictionary (英英字典 )

Speaker: 陳祈旭Aug. 20, 2003

How to Purchase an English Dictionary2

Agenda Process of Learning English Reasons to use English Dictionary Drawbacks of Electronic Dictionaries Use of Paper English Dictionary Recommended Paper English Dictionaries Conclusions Learning Resources


Process of Learning EnglishTo learn English

Increasing your vocabulary

To consult the dictionary

English dictionary

Try thinking in English

Grammar Sentences

It is inevitable to use a dictionary, if you

want to promote your English ability.

Understanding the meaning of a word


Reasons to use English Dictionary (英英字典 )

To overcome the problems as follows: To figure out what a word exactly means The explanation is composed of words, instead of

a single word that is in 英漢字典 To know how to use a word in different contexts To avoid use of tools with relatively less example

sentences and phrases To avoid usage of “Chinglish”(中文文法英文 ) To avoid the drawbacks that electric dictionaries

can bring (described in the next slide)


Drawbacks of Elec. Dictionaries 東海大學外文系王琳教授啟 (1996) 的調指查出 : 局限的小螢幕空間只能呈現片段的資料英漢或漢英兩種語言的快速翻譯機，很難像傳統紙版字典列出許多例句，介紹字詞上下文情境(Context) 的關係及用法

發現學生使用電子字典後，60%以上的人變得 "很懶 "～懶得花時間閱字詞的細節，如字的用法或查在上下文的關係，但是這些人在未使用電子字典前用紙版字典閱則不會有此現象查


Elec. Dictionary

1.

2.


Use of Paper English Dictionary

Use of Dictionary

Own a Dictionary( 英英或英漢字典 ?)

Know the meaning of the word

Increase your vocabulary

Practice thinking in English


Recommended Paper English Dictionaries English dictionaries I choose:

Collins COBUILD English Dictionary for Advanced Learners

Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

這是舊版的封面現在有新版的了


Learner’s Dictionary What is Learner’s Dictionary?

Ex: Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary 母語非英語系國家人士所設計的學習者字典

(Learner’s Dictionary) 這類字典的解釋多半以常用英語基本字彙

（如 2500 個基本字彙）撰寫，可以避免查了看不懂解釋的困惱


Other English Dictionaries不推薦以下四本字典


Example – Collins COBUILD


Example - Oxford


Comparison (Subjective)Collins COBUILD English Dictionary for Advanced Learners

Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

Illustrations N (Nil) Y (Rich)

Explanation about the physical object

Poor (there is no illustrations in this dictionary)

Good (rich illustrations in this dictionary)

Explanation about the abstract

Good Common

Grammar Guide N Y

Advantages 1. Sample sentences2. 反義字3. 字出現頻率

1. Illustrations2. Phrases3. Grammar Guide

Phonogram( 音標 ) K.K. K.K.


Summary If you want learn the exact meaning of

an abstract word, you should use “Collins COBUILD English Dictionary for Advanced Learners”

If you want a dictionary for common use, “Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary” is recommended


Conclusions Consult the dictionary when reading

and writing See if you can understand the meaning

of the word when you want to purchase an English dictionary

英文不是目的，而是你學習的工具。


Learning Resources Collins COBUILD,

http://www.cobuild.collins.co.uk/ Oxford,

http://www.oed.com/ Cambridge,

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/ Longman, http://www.longman.com

/dictionaries/

http://www.cobuild.collins.co.uk/

http://www.oed.com/

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/

http://www.longman.com/dictionaries/




Learning Resources English Magazine:

Scientific Americans Popular Science National Geographic Times (famous with “Times-English”)

English Newspaper: Taipei Times China Times Taiwan News


Thank you for your listening


Use of Dictionary Process:

First of all, you should not let those words that you don’t understand and are ambiguous to you pass by

Secondly, consult the English dictionary Thirdly, see if the meaning you found is

appropriate to the sentenceIf not, go to step 2

With more experience of consulting dictionaries, you can guess the real meaning of a sentence by using

the context in the paragraph, when having one that you cannot figure out


Own a Dictionary Two kinds of dictionaries

English-Chinese Dictionary ( 英漢字典 ) Allows you to quickly find out the meaning

English Dictionary ( 英英字典 ) To figure out the exact meaning of the word,

more data and usage It makes you try to think in English

English dictionary may be the option you can choose


Know the meaning of the word The style of word explanation in the various

kinds of English dictionaries is very different Choose one you can accept and can figure out

what the meaning of the ambiguous word is Moreover, it’s not enough that only knowing

the meaning of the word, and you should also know The pronunciation, and The phrases that use the word


Increase your Vocabulary Principle of Learning English:

“ 隨時隨地留神所聽到或讀到的字、詞、片語，表達語等”

So, how to increase my vocabulary? 廣泛大量的閱讀 , 經常閱讀英語書籍、雜誌與報紙

And how do I increase my vocabulary when reading? Consult the dictionary Can be improved by consulting English dictionary


Practice thinking in English Why?

因為中國人學英語常常無法避免造出中文式英語，而貽笑大方，要祛除這樣的毛病，英語大師吳炳鍾教授竭力提倡英語學習者「儘早培養使用英英字典的習慣」（吳炳鐘，民 82 年）。

How? Read the sample sentence of the word when

consulting the dictionary Try to imitate authors’ thought when studying English

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how to purchase english dictionary

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