Using an English Dictionary

 For foreign students of English, a good dictionary Is a necessary reference book. Like all tools, however, it is valuable only if it is used correctly and efficiently. A short time spent on learning what a dictionary contains and how it should be used will save you much time later.

The Authority of a Dictionary

At some time you have probably been told to "use the dictionary."

The word “the” suggests that there is only one dictionary. The fact is there are many English dictionaries; a few are excellent, many are poor. None of them is "the supreme authority" that advertisers may claim. Unlike some other languages, English has never been regulated, approved, or authorized by an academy or government ministry. An English dictionary is merely a record of how English speakers define, pronounce, speak, and use the words of their language. The only authority an English dictionary has is its completeness, its accuracy in reporting the facts, and its recency of publication.

British and American English

Foreign students are frequently worried about the differences between British English and American English. Although these differences may seem to be confusing at first, they are not sufficiently numerous or important to worry about. Where a difference exists, a good dictionary will indicate alternate British or American pronunciations, spellings, or meanings. Either is equally correct

Desk Dictionaries

Several large dictionaries, called unabridged, contain all the words of the language.

Usually you will not need such a complete dictionary. If you  should, you will find it in

the reference room of your library. Your study  needs will be met satisfactorily by one

of the more convenient abridged  dictionaries. These are small desk dictionaries that

contain more than  100,000 different words, as well as other useful references and

information.

Dictionaries to Avoid

Because new words come into the language and old meanings frequently change, it

 is important to use only a dictionary that has been recently published or revised.

Avoid a dictionary thatis more than ten or at most fifteen years old.                       

Small paper-covered dictionaries have only a limited value for your study needs.

They are abridgements of abridgements. Also,though they may have been published

recently, many of these pocket-sized dictionaries are copied without changes from

older dictionaries.

Avoid a native-language-to-English dictionary (for example,Japanese-English, French-

English, Persian-English). Dictionaries of this kind are frequently poorly edited and

out of date. Although they may serve an occasional and immediate convenience,

their great danger is the assumption that there is a one-for-one correspondence

between the words of the two languages. Sometimes there is, most often there is

not. Word translations of the kind that such dictionaries encourage can lead you into

many mistakes.

Furthermore, you will not increase your English vocabulary but only temporarily find

what may be a false equivalent.

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