Translation Programme -Workshop I: how to use a monolingual dictionary

Using a monolingual English-English dictionary

Dictionaries are one of the most useful resources learners -and translators- have at hand in order to help them improve their knowledge of the language and avoid making mistakes. There are many reliable dictionaries available online for you to use. Watch an English teacher describe the Macmillan Dictionary and a Bulgarian teacher explore the Cambridge Dictionary Online. Then decide decide if the statements in the next slide are TRUE or FALSE.

Click on the correct answer

1. You can check the different inflected forms of verbs in Macmillan Dictionary.

True

False

2. Macmillan Dictionary provides real language examples to illustrate the meaning of words.

False

True

3. You can only listen to the British English pronunciation of words in the Cambridge Dictionary Online.

True

False

4. Cambridge Dictionary Online provides synonyms of words.

True

False

5. Cambridge Dictionary Online shows collocations in bold type.

True

False

You can now explore the following online dictionaries:

Pay close attention to how each dictionary presents information related to: pronunciation, word class, definitions, sentence examples, collocations, phrasal verbs and idioms.

Now that you have explored the different dictionaries proposed, we'd like you to take part in this survey to see which dictionary is the class favourite!