(Very often, many of the different meanings are similar and this should be enough to give you a good idea what the word means.) First, check through all the meanings and find the one that makes most sense in the context where you found the word.If you are not sure which one is correct, here’s what you can do: Very often when you look up a new English word, you find that it has more than one meaning. Finding the right meaning of an English word If you use an electronic dictionary, take some time at home to learn how it works and, again, practise finding words quickly. You should also practise finding words in your own language in your bilingual dictionary. Use the guide words at the top of each dictionary page and keep practising until you can find any word within 10 seconds. Of course, you will need to know the English alphabet perfectly, so practise this too. Ask someone to write down 5 words and see how long it takes you to find them. This is a skill that you need to practise. Alternatively, if you open Google and type, for example, define: superstitious, you will get a long list of different definitions of superstitious.Ī good monolingual dictionary is recommended for students who already have a high standard of English and want to learn about word use. A very good one for ESL students is the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English. However, they are expensive and easy to lose, so put your name on yours!Ī cheaper possibility, if you are going to work at the computer, is to use an online dictionary. They can speak the English word to you, and they are easy to carry around. Most of them contain native-language equivalents and explanations, as well as definitions and example sentences in English. Knowing which dictionary to useĮlectronic dictionaries are the best choice for ESL students. As well as this, you need to be able to find what you are looking for quickly you need to be sure that you have found what you were looking for and, most importantly, you need to know when to use your dictionary. You must also decide which is the best dictionary for any of the purposes listed above.
To be a good dictionary user, however, it is not enough to know what to use the dictionary for. find examples of the use of a word in natural language.find out other grammatical information about a word.check the plural of a noun or past tense of a verb.find the English translation of a word in your language.look up the meaning of an English word you see or hear.With a good dictionary you can do the following: How to use a dictionary effectively Reasons for using a dictionaryĪ dictionary is a very important tool for anyone who is learning a new language.
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