I will have to see the word in many more contexts before I get a grasp on its full scope. It is often just a hint, enough to help me decipher what I am reading, to allow me to continue trying to make meaning out of what I am reading. Often the more abstract the concept, the less likely that the meaning from the dictionary will be accurate for any particular context. Often the dictionary definition is misleading, but with enough reading and listening, the scope of meaning of different words and phrases starts to become clear. I do not expect the dictionary definition to fully explain the meaning of the word. It is necessary in order to give me at least some idea of what a word or phrase means, and how it functions in the context I am reading. I need them as I discover a new language through listening and reading, until I reach an advanced level. It used to be glossaries, and now it is the online dictionary. In any case, I have always avoided using conventional paper dictionaries because they are too time consuming to consult, given that I quickly forget whatever I look up, almost immediately.īut some kind of dictionary or translation of new words is necessary. This was less than ideal, since the glossaries were on a separate page in the book, and often didn’t match my needs. Dealing with a lot of unknown words makes it slow going at first, but ensures that I acquire a lot of new vocabulary at a good clip.īefore the age of e-texts and online dictionaries, I relied on special “readers” in the new language, which had glossaries or word lists behind every lesson in the book.
I use online dictionaries, as I fight my way through content that for a long time has a lot of unknown words.
Today this means that when I am learning a new language, I do all my reading in the new language electronically, online or on my iPad. That is essentially how I learn languages. The more exposure I get the faster I will learn. I want to read and listen, as much as possible, in order to allow my brain to get used to the new language through massive meaningful exposure. This can be simple stories at first, and then, as soon as possible, content of interest to me. When I learn a language, regardless of my level in the language, I like to learn from meaningful contexts. I find it hard to believe that some learners prefer monolingual dictionaries but have come to accept that this is so, since this choice is defended so strongly by the proponents of this approach. Let me say up front that I always prefer bilingual dictionaries. A bilingual dictionary provides a translation or explanation using another language, a language you are very familiar with, usually your native language. Which is better for language learners, monolingual or bilingual dictionaries? This question often comes up.Ī monolingual dictionary explains the meaning of a word in the language that you are learning.
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