Unfortunately, little literature exists on their efficacy and the way these are used therefore, there is now a pressing need for uncovering the way EFL learners use these tools. Various types and sizes have been produced ranging from hand-held devices to multimedia dictionaries on CD-ROMs. Modern educational and computer technology has greatly affected the design of electronic dictionaries. In this sense, what I intend in this paper is to expound a selection of ideas (which are not meant to be the only ones valid or applicable) leading to improve ‒ methodologically and formally ‒ the features and output of this kind of linguistic tools (bilingual dictionaries for a beginner-intermediate user), and, thus, to create a wealthier and fuller lexicographical practice, a more productive consultation and also a more autonomous learning For that reason, we need to know the characteristics of the dictionaries we are using, but also the characteristics of their potential users. However, not all dictionaries are suitable for all learners, due to the fact that every dictionary will have different contents, purposes and target users. In this context, bilingual dictionaries are a precious source to learn and develop autonomous learning skills and, thus, are even more significant in the foreign-language learning process. "We want this to be accessible to the broadest audience possible," she says.The newest teaching/learning methods include the concept of "‘autonomous learning", which means that learners have much of the responsibility for planning and organizing their learning. While the dictionary is intended as a scholarly resource of value to researchers and members of the speech community, the editors want it to be equally usable by the general public, explains Heinmiller. There will also be crossover with other dictionaries, so if a word makes it into the ODAAE, it could likely appear in the OED as well, either as a dedicated entry or a new sense of an existing entry. "We want to give a well-rounded sketch of the language variety both in historic and contemporary usage from a descriptive perspective." "In instances where we can trace that history, I think it's important," she says. When possible, the entries will have etymological notes too, according to Heinmiller. There will be pronunciation guides, which may include different regional pronunciation, as well as audio files. Goals of the Oxford Dictionary of African American EnglishĮach ODAAE inclusion will have the typical format of a dictionary entry and include real-life examples from various types of sources to give as complete a picture as possible. "The scope of this is broader than any English variety dictionary that Oxford has done so far," says Heinmiller. But the ODAAE will have even more to offer. Today, there are resources for words from Australian to Ugandan English with many in between and several others coming soon. Including words from various world Englishes has been an Oxford practice since 1884 when the first OED included the Tagalog word abaca, a banana plant native to the Philippines or its fiber. Oxford also has a division of World Englishes, "a term referring to localized or indigenized varieties of English spoken throughout the world by people of diverse cultural backgrounds in a wide range of sociolinguistic contexts." You can find plenty of previous examples of English variety dictionaries, like Oxford's own Australian Oxford Dictionary or the Dictionary of Southern Appalachian English from The University of North Carolina Press, for which Heinmiller was a coeditor. And words that we take for granted today, such as 'cool' and 'crib,' 'hokum' and 'diss,' 'hip' and 'hep,' 'bad,' meaning 'good,' and 'dig,' meaning 'to understand' - these are just a tiny fraction of the words that have come into American English from African American speakers, neologisms that emerged out of the Black Experience in this country, over the last few hundred years. Words with African origins such as 'goober,' 'gumbo' and 'okra' survived the Middle Passage along with our African ancestors. Every speaker of American English borrows heavily from words invented by African Americans, whether they know it or not.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |