Special Feature

A Dictionary for Today's Young Learners of English

January 2004

ALD (An Active Learning Dictionary) was new for 2003, and we interviewed its consultant editor Anne Seaton in December.

Anne has worked for Learners Publishing since its foundation in 2000, and has had a wide experience of compiling and editing dictionaries for the learners' market over the last decade or so.

ELT: Where does ALD fit into the market?
AS: An Active Learning Dictionary is a dictionary compiled and designed specifically for the up-and-coming young English-learner - its target user is the upper-primary to lower-secondary student, who will find it an easy-to-use, informative and helpful source.

What is special about ALD? What would you say about its design?
Learners Publishing has quite a talent for design. The dictionary is in a handy A5 format, and at 460 pages is not a heavyweight in the schoolbag. Its text is bright and clear, with easily readable fonts, enlivened by a second colour. But the most important feature is the wealth of tinted panel notes, highlighting useful and relevant language points.

What about the entries? Could you take us through them?
Well, to start with, the headwords are in large type, picked out in the second colour, so very easy to find. Then we supply the word-class information (noun, verb, preposition and so on) and inflections - verb parts, plurals, comparative and superlative forms - wherever there is irregularity or help is needed (for example with benefit, benefiting, benefited, where there can be doubt over consonant-doubling). And the definitions are numbered, with each starting on a fresh line, and they're supported by plentiful examples of use in italic type.

What help do you give with pronunciation?
We help in two ways. First, the headword is shown divided into syllables, and then standard IPA phonetics follow on the line below, so that the one pronunciation guide reinforces the other. Extra help with tricky pronunciations is sometimes given the form of a 'rhyme' note, for example: 'meant rhymes with sent'; 'sew rhymes with toe'.

Do you use 'whole-sentence' definitions?
Yes and no. The definitions vary between the 'whole-sentence' style and ordinary dictionary style. The compilers have used whole sentences where they can be especially helpful, for example to show the typical subject of a verb, where this changes with meaning. For instance, at the verb "hurt," we have the following definitions and examples:

1. To injure a person or animal or cause them pain: Nobody was hurt in the accident.
2. You hurt yourself when you do something that causes you to be injured: I fell off my bike but I didn't hurt myself.
3. Part of you hurts when it is sore: My knee hurts.
4. You hurt a person or their feelings when you do or say something that upsets them: I felt hurt when Dad criticized me.

The whole-sentence style is also useful for showing uncountability in nouns, because the definition starts with the noun itself, without an indefinite article, for example, at the noun "glass":

1. Glass is the hard clear material used to make windows and bottles: a piece of broken glass.
2. A container for drinks made of glass: a glass of orange juice.

Do you cover phrases?
Yes. They come as separate subheadings at the end of the entries. We give preference to the practical over the more colourful kind. At the noun "mind," for example, you find change your mind and make up your mind; and at "hand" there are hand in hand, hold hands, on hands and knees, and shake hands. And each phrase definition is backed up by an example of use.

How do you deal with the all-important matter of phrasal verbs?
Phrasal verbs are also listed as separate subheadings after the main part of the verb entry, mostly with whole-sentence definitions followed by examples. The coverage is comprehensive; for instance, at "look" the phrasal verbs look after, look for, look forward to, look out and look up are included, and go ahead, go in for, go off, go on, go out and go with are to be found at "go."

Let's get back to the panel notes you mentioned. How do they help?
Well, this is where the 'active learning' in the dictionary title comes in. These tinted panel notes (and, as I said, there are several per opening) are inserted at the points in the entry to which they are relevant, and are clearly headed 'Grammar', 'Spelling', 'Related Vocabulary' and 'Antonyms/Synonyms' to signal the kind of help they provide. For example, the plural noun "glasses," which has its own entry independent of "glass," is followed by a grammar note with an example: 'The noun glasses is plural, but a pair of glasses is singular: Where is my other pair of glasses?' Then comes an antonyms/synonyms note, supplying "spectacles" as a synonym; then a related-vocabulary note with the information 'The pieces of glass in a pair of glasses are called lenses: My right lens is stronger than my left lens.' Vocabulary-building is catered for in many other ways too; at "fish," for example, you get three items in the related-vocabulary note: 'Many fish are covered with scales; fish breathe through gills; female fish lay eggs.'

We haven't talked about illustrations. Are there any?
Yes, indeed, there are quite a few. They're placed at the point they refer to in the text and they often illustrate an example of use (for instance, 'which button do you press to turn on this cassette-player?'). They are also particularly appropriate in demonstrating concepts difficult to describe in words - "fist" for example, the two different meanings of "palm," electrical plugs and sockets - and in showing ranges of things such as brushes, lamps, shoes and insects.

What about the introduction and appendices? What sort of information do they give?
The introduction includes a guide to the phonetic symbols and four pages demonstrating the dictionary's use and features. Then there are five invaluable appendices:

• British and American English (help is also given on this in the main text)
• Irregular verbs (a comprehensive list covering all parts, with notes where needed)
• Word families (the nouns, adjectives and adverbs associated with particular verbs)
• Groups and quantities (a wad of banknotes, a slice of bread, and so on)
• Words confused and misused (discussion of the distinction between, for example, affect and effect, farther and further, lay and lie, raise and rise).

An Active Learning Dictionary is published by Learners Publishing (2003, ISBN 981-4070-35-1, ¥1,900. Consultant Editor: Anne Seaton. Compilers: Penny Hands and Patricia Marshall.

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