ERIC Number: EJ1269382
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020-Sep
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-2229-9327
EISSN: N/A
What to Choose amongst Dictionaries for the Linguistics Student: A Review of "The American Heritage College Dictionary" and the "Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary"
Arab World English Journal, v11 n3 p537-548 Sep 2020
This article compares and contrasts two dictionaries: "The American Heritage College Dictionary" and the "Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary." This review is written to provide English language learners -- and others -- who are taking undergraduate-level courses in linguistics, with in-depth advice on how to best support and augment their previously assigned textbooks. Specifically, the author seeks to make a case for how these two dictionaries are the most constructive for students taking courses that focus on semantics and pragmatics. Both of these texts contain extensive and detailed knowledge for students majoring in English. The reviewer examines key aspects of the two volumes in this comparison, including: front and back matter, range of contents and illustrations, and the organization of the entries. Other areas that are explored are how each dictionary deals with connotational meaning, collocational information, expressions related to the headword, and controversial usage issues. The findings of this author reveal that both texts are valuable additions to the library of any undergraduate student studying linguistics and the English language. Each volume has its strong points, making both dictionaries beneficial and essential to students of English. However, these particular texts are strongly recommended for the student for whom English is not the native language.
Descriptors: Dictionaries, Lexicography, Linguistics, English (Second Language), Second Language Learning, Undergraduate Students, Student Needs, Selection Criteria, Pragmatics, Semantics, Language Usage, Foreign Countries
Arab World English Journal. 10602 Davlee Lane, Richmond, Texas, 77407. e-mail: editor@awej.org; e-mail: info@ASELS.org; Web site: https://awej.org/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Saudi Arabia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A