The Dictionary

ALL DIFFERENT, ALL EQUAL
KNOWING ME, KNOWING YOU
A DAY IN MY LIFE
THERE'S NOTHING LIKE HOME
LONELY? SO WHAT, READ A BOOK
ON THE SUNNY SIDE OF THE ALPS
HIT THE ROAD
GOOD HEALTH IS ABOVE WEALTH
LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL

THE DICTIONARY

Using a dictionary is a great way of building your vocabulary, so you should know how to make good use of it. In pairs, discuss why, when and how we use a dictionary. What do you want to know about a word? What kind of dictionaries fit for certain purposes? Where can you find dictionaries?
Here are the photos of the two dictionary entries of the headword ‘happy,’ the first taken from a monolingual printed dictionary and the second from an e-dictionary. Compare the information you can find in both of them and write about the differences in ‘happy’ in your notebook.

EXAMPLE

In general, in both dictionary versions, we can find information on grammar, usage, spelling, pronunciation, etc.

happy /'hæpi)/ = pronunciation, adj.= part of speech,
(happier, happiest) = comparison
having feelings of pleasure = meaning (paraphrasing)
≠sad = opposite
happy in your work = a phrase, usage
She's always happy and smiling. = example of usage

With a good dictionary (an electronic or paper one) you can:
• look up words to find their meaning
• find English translations of Slovene words
• check the spelling of words
• find out how to say a word and how to correctly use it in a sentence
• check the part of speech of a word
• check the plural of nouns
• check the past forms of verbs
• find the synonyms or antonyms of words
• find the collocations of words

An important feature is whether the dictionary is quick and easy to use. Many students prefer electronic dictionaries. Both electronic and paper versions provide definitions of words, their equivalents, and example sentences. In contract to paper dictionaries, the electronic versions can offer recordings of the pronunciation of words and many other interactive learning functions, e.g. spelling games that can be accessed with a click of the mouse. They are constantly updated and seem easier to use than paper dictionaries. A cheaper possibility is to use an online dictionary.

Most electronic dictionaries have certain unique functions, such as cross-referencing (e.g. synonyms and antonyms) with a click of the mouse, and word and spelling games in contrast to dictionaries in book form.
In addition, paper dictionaries do not include speech features, updates and interactive learning functions, and grammar explanations. Obviously, electronic dictionaries are faster, lighter, and more mobile than paper versions.

FIND OUT

A printed or a hard-copy dictionary is a reference book which explains the meaning and shows the use of words of a language in alphabetical order. It can also be very useful to find out about the parts of speech certain words belong to.

An electronic dictionary or an e-dictionary is an electronic resource explaning the words, their use, etc. online or offline.

A dictionary entry informs the users about headwords through various aspects: their grammar, pronunciation, through its transcription, (example: head•word, \'hed-w,rd\), the most common collocations, synonyms, antonyms, etc.)

Dictionaries provide us with different information about headwords we need to define or find out about, such as pronunciation, synonyms, parts of speech, antonyms, and word families.
Use a dictionary to find definitions and discuss them in pairs. Then, compare your findings with those in ‘Words to Remember.’

WORDS TO REMEMBER

entry = (n.) a headword along with its related text
headword = (n.) a word, phrase, or name, usually set in bold or other distinctive type. It begins a dictionary entry
define = (v.) to explain the meaning of (a word, phrase, etc.)
monolingual = using one language only. For example: an English-English dictionary (English words are explained with English definitions)
dictionary (n.) = a reference book in which words are listed in an alphabetical order providing information about their meanings
hard-copy (book) = (n.) a printed or paper copy rather than a digital one
reference book = (n.) a resource that can be used to obtain information we need
pronunciation = (n.) the way we speak, or say a word so that others can understand us
collocation = (n.) two or more words that go together
synonym = (n.) a word with a similar meaning
antonym = (n.) a word with an opposite meaning
part of speech = word class =(n.) a word category such as a noun, a verb, an adjective, etc.
word family = (n.) a group of words of the same root

A dictionary		defines the words and shows their use(s)
Monolingual		using one language only
A collocation		two or more words that go together
A synonym		a word with a similar meaning
A part of speech		a noun, a verb, an adverb, and others

THE DICTIONARY

Now, match the words on your left with the definitions on your right.