write an essay on the usage of dictionaries and bring out its relevance in vocabulary building
Answers
Language learning and vocabulary building go hand in hand. No language can be effectively learnt without knowing how to use the words. It is these words that produce meaning, thereby making vocabulary a critical part of language skills. Further, vocabulary itself depends heavily on the use of dictionaries. Hence, it can safely be said that dictionaries are useful tools not only for vocabulary, but for the language on the whole.
Dictionaries may not actively used during language lessons, because quite often, the context makes the meaning of a new word clear to the reader. In such cases, the reader does not necessarily need to consult a dictionary, though it is always advisable to do so, for further clarity. Also, there are numerous examples of words that need to be looked up in the dictionary, because the context does not provide ample clues for the reader to be able to understand the meaning of a word or phrase. Here, the dictionary is a tool directly used for language learning.
Additionally, a dictionary provides information on the etymology (or root) of the words. This information comes in handy when trying to understand the meaning of other words that share the same prefix. For instance, 'il' signifies 'absent' or 'lack of' or 'not'. So, 'illegal' means 'not legal, and 'illiterate' means 'not literate'. This sort of information helps learners understand the logic of the language and thus assists in vocabulary building.
Similarly, a dictionary entry also talks about the singular and plural form of the word. By simply looking up the dictionary, a learner can become aware of the fact that the plural of 'goat' is 'goats', but 'sheep' remains 'sheep'. Dictionaries thus enable a learner to learn by himself and also clarify doubts when needed.
Yet another advantage of using dictionaries is that they give information on idioms and proverbs. This helps take the linguistic levels a bit higher. Dictionaries serve as a language resource that is authentic and easy to follow. As one moves from using simple words to idioms and proverbs, the person's mastery over the language undoubtedly improves; all this information being readily available in dictionaries.
Finally, using a dictionary is usually not limited to looking up a single word. More often than not, one word leads to another and so on. As a result, the learner is rewarded with many words that help him form a mind map with one central word or concept.
The above-mentioned reasons clearly show how dictionaries can be used to learn new words as well as improve upon the existing vocabulary skills. Though online dictionaries are used more readily today, the fact remains that dictionaries have not lost their relevance.
A dictionary is one of the most important tools for vocabulary building.
- The first indispensable resource for developing vocabulary is a dictionary.
- A dictionary is a reference book including the vocabulary of a language, set out alphabetically, with details on their forms, pronunciation, and spellings.
- One can only discover its exact meaning, pronunciation, alternative meanings, and find additional useful knowledge about it by looking up a word in a dictionary.
- The usage of dictionary lets the users have wonder. In other English words, concepts must be understood, facilitating a faster expansion of passive vocabulary.
- Learners may obtain insights into the accuracy of identifying and explaining significations, and the construction of instance words, as well as learning to deal with definitions that seem vague at first.
- Not only do the example sentences themselves exemplify traditional use of the but they also provide access to the context.