Review: Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English online
description
Transcript of Review: Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English online
LDOCE
The Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English is a very useful
monolingual dictionary available on the net. I came across this language
resource when one of the English teachers recommended it at the beginning of
the course. This tool is not only helpful in order to find many words that are
not understood when reading, but it is also appropriate for translation tasks as
it offers very accurate definitions and examples. Even if the LDOCE is thought
for non native English speakers, it may also be interesting for native speakers
as it offers a full range of features.
Aintzane Cabañes Martínez
The website of the dictionary is owned and operated by Pearson Education which is part of the
global media and education group Pearson and has different English language publishing
programmes all over the world. Moreover, the LDOCE is powered by IDM (XML Content
Management Software) a French company which provides software development services to
electronic information users and suppliers.
The dictionary, as all Longman dictionaries, is compiled using the Longman Corpus Network which
offers a huge database of 330 million words taken from a wide range of sources from the real life.
Background
How to use the Longman Dictionary Online:
The online version of the Longman dictionary offers around 207000 words and their
meaning, as well as 7000 references to either people, or places etc. Through the following
slides, I will introduce a short usage of the tool.
1. Looking up a word
This version is very useful and easy to use. By typing the word in the search box and
clicking OK we will be instantly directed to a page where all the definitions for the word are
listed.
There may appear more than one option if the word is used as more than one part of
speech. To make things easier, the word shown first is the most used.
2. How to hear the pronunciation of a certain word
It also offers the pronunciation of the word which is useful to understand the International Phonetic
Alphabet‘s symbols. In order to listen to the pronunciation, we just have to click on the speaker
buttons which appear next to the example sentences to hear them. Moreover, by clicking on the
speaker button at the top of the entry we will be directed to a new window. There we can hear the
headword pronounced either in British English or American English, and also all the example
sentences for that entry.
What happens if the word we want to check does not appear? The online dictionary offers a
spellchecker which will suggest different options similar to the one typed.
3. Searching by topic
It is also important to point out that the online version has recently made available the possibility
of looking up a word by clicking on topic label (what they have called“Topic Dictionary”). This is
how the dictionary creates a kind of net between words which is really useful for the user in
order to follow the connections between words very easily. Even if we are searching for a
specific word, it can interest us to see similar words, or compounds, etc. This may be
particularly useful when writing an essay as we might be using words related to the same topic
as in the following example. We might be using words related to motor vehicles, or words
connected with technology.
The dictionary also added the chance to see pictures of words through its
“Dictionary pictures”.
Pictures
It has been suggested in many cases that
the best way to learn and remember the
meaning of a word is by pictures. Our
memory tends to remember more easily the
image of a certain word rather than the whole
explanation, that is why I found really
interesting that the dictionary is adjuncting to
the meaning the picture of the word.
PRACTICAL EXAMPLES
1. NOUNS
PHONE
The dictionary first of all specifies if the word is countable or uncountable between brackets and in a green colour next to the
word.
It also offers in some cases the picture which will appear to the right.
Some words have several different meanings which are organized by their usage. The most used or most common
meaning appears first next to the number in red.
In this example, the second meaning is accompanied by a similar word or
a synonym which is shown between brackets and next to a symbol of equality
in blue.
Each meaning is followed by several examples where the word can be used, and
each of those examples is preceded by a symbol which allows listening to
the pronunciation.
Moreover, at the end of each meaning, if possible, the dictionary suggests in strong blue next to a row different words which are
related to the word we have searched.
PRACTICAL EXAMPLES
2. VERBS
SHOUT
In contrast to the example of the noun
search, when searching a verb, the
dictionary goes directly to the first
meaning. This is when as with the noun, it
offers the specification of whether it is a
transitive or intransitive verb. This is
shown after the number of the meaning (in
red) between brackets and in green. In the
case of verbs it also gives words that seem
to be synonyms in blue and also between
brackets. It can also be appreciated that
there are some cases when the dictionary
specifies when it is used in British English
or in American English in purple italics. It
also makes clear when it is a phrasal verb
next to the usage in light grey. Of course,
the pronunciation of each example is
available by clicking to the pronunciation
icon which appears before it.
PRACTICAL EXAMPLES
3.ADJECTIVES
POLITE
With adjectives, the dictionary goes straight
into the meanings also ordered depending
their usage and after their corresponding
number in red. In the previous two cases,
the tool offered similar words or synonyms
next to each meaning (if there are
synonyms). However, in the case of
adjectives, it shows the
possibleantonyms or words with the
opposed meaning. They are specified
between brackets in blue and after a
crossed symbol of equality. It has to be
pointed out that at the end of the entry, the
dictionary offers words formed with the
adjectives; in the example it shows that
from polite we can form politely by adding
the suffix -lyindicating an adverb, or we can
also get the noun politeness by adding the
suffix -ness. It also offers
several examples with their
corresponding pronunciations.
PRACTICAL EXAMPLES
4. ADVERBS
QUICKLY
This final example shows the search for an adverb. It does not show any other new feature that has not been mentioned in the previous examples. The meanings are ordered by the usages and all the examples offer the possibility of listening to them.
First of all, it has to be pointed out that these
two dictionaries are completely different as
we will appreciate when we first get into their
web page
Comparing the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English with the Urban Dictionary:
.
The appearance of each online dictionary is completely opposed. The LDOCE
appears to be more clear, more organized, in other words, more sophisticated.
Even if it has some advertisements they are very well put together with the
content of the dictionary so that it does not disturb when using the tool; they are
left aside on the right or left very well organized in columns and with a subtle
frame marking the ad. Moreover, the page makes your view go straight into the
searching box so that there is no possibility to get lost. The searching box
appears in the upper part of the page in the middle and with a bigger size. The
tool also offers a specific tab inside the page with specifications of the usage
and very useful examples as well as common questions.
The LDOCE
In contrast, the Urban Dictionary at a first
sight is more like a chaos. It is full of
advertisements in different formats
(colours, size, etc.), and the first page
does not show the dictionary itself, but a
page with a list of the words of the day
(which is also a bit confusing). In order to
access the dictionary there are some tab
at the top and we have to click in the tab
“dictionary”. That way we will be directed
to a page where for looking up a word we
have to search in the alphabet or in a
small searching box in the upper part to
the right. This is not a very clear,
organized and easy usage of a dictionary
and it does not even offer a page with
keys for using it nor any kind of
explanation.
PRACTICAL EXAMPLES
1. NOUNS
PHONE
As it can be appreciated, the Urban
Dictionary first of all offers several
words which are related to the word we
are looking up. They appear one after
the other in small blue boxes. Then it
shows the list of meanings for the word
ordered depending on the day they were
published which appears at the end of
each meaning after the name of the
person who has published the entry.
Each meaning is rated in favour or
against by the users. Apart from the
meaning it also offers
some example sentences of how the
word is used in context.
PRACTICAL EXAMPLES
2.VERBS
SHOUT
When searching a verb the same happens,
first we are offered a list of words
connected to the word we are looking for
and then the list of meanings ordered all in
the same way. However, in this case, it can
be appreciated that the meaning given by
the Urban Dictionary and the meaning that
the LDOCE gives have nothing to do with
each other. The one given by the Urban
Dictionary refers to an Australian saying
while the one given by the LDOCE is more
connected to the generalized use of the
verb shout. There is also an example
sentence to help the user realize in which
context is the word used.
PRACTICAL EXAMPLES
3.ADJECTIVES
POLITE
In the case of the adjective, the tool
also includes the already cited list
of related words in blue small boxes at
the top and then the
possible meanings for the word, each
of them rated by the users. In this
particular case, even if the meaning is
referring to the same idea that the
LDOCE is suggesting, it is slightly
different. It can be noticed that the
Urban Dictionary’s definition is not as
accurate as the one given by the
LDOCE which is more complete, more
formal and it is better explained.
Furthermore, the examples given are
very simple and not very helpful.
PRACTICAL EXAMPLES
4.ADVERBS
QUICKLY
Finally, the search for
the adverb shows the same features as
in the previous cases. However, there
is a tiny difference in this case, in
contrast to the previous examples this
entry shows a specification of
what type of word it is (adverb). And
instead of giving an example sentence
it offers a conversation where the word
is used.
All the images are taken from Flickr under a creative commons license by attribution:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/srboisvert/121457220/sizes/o/http://www.flickr.com/photos/eyesplash/4332397307/http://www.flickr.com/photos/horiavarlan/4307770822/in/set-72157623191103352http://www.flickr.com/photos/aileron/12927596/http://www.flickr.com/photos/horiavarlan/4329173343/in/set-72157623191103352http://www.flickr.com/photos/horiavarlan/4332381194/in/set-72157623191103352http://www.flickr.com/photos/horiavarlan/4268896468/http://www.flickr.com/photos/coda/188913787/http://www.flickr.com/photos/art_es_anna/1314358266/http://www.flickr.com/photos/caitlinator/2788433360/http://www.flickr.com/photos/raneko/4204026760/in/set-72157604232456981http://www.flickr.com/photos/powerbooktrance/527041023/http://www.flickr.com/photos/jason-morrison/3315598682/http://www.flickr.com/photos/spigoo/28949609/http://www.flickr.com/photos/flattop341/247991764/http://www.flickr.com/photos/nihonbunka/46329607/