Longman Language Activator

Every time I lay my hands on a dictionary by Longman, I cannot but rave about it. The Language Activator is no exception.

While my last review focussed on collocations (with thesaurus entries), this work by Longman is all about expressing a variety of concepts using similar words and phrases. In short, this is Longman´s thesaurus for English students.

A learner´s thesaurus is an extremely useful book that contributes to mastering the English lexicon, helping you to write and sound more like a native speaker. Students who are not familiar with this type of work tend to overuse general words such as "nice", "good", "happy", etc. instead of choosing others like "charming", "impressive", "thrilled", and so on, which may be more appropriate in certain contexts.

Longman Language Activator presents 866 general concepts, divided into more specific ideas. Detailed explanations are then given for all words and phrases followed by relevant examples and collocations.

This dictionary is a treasure.

This dictionary is always good company

Would you like to write and speak English like a native? If the answer is (obviously) yes, this is the final word: collocation.

Words in a language tend to co-occur with others to form natural “chunks”, which the native speaker can quickly bring to mind whenever they are needed. That is why it is much more effective to learn collocations rather than individual words. Moreover, learning collocations will prevent common mistakes made by students when translating from L1 into L2.

Longman´s Collocations Dictionary and Thesaurus is an excellent work covering thousands of those all-important collocations. It is the first collocations dictionary with an integrated thesaurus, helping students not only learn natural English but also build their vocabulary with a large number of similar words. It is without doubt a winning combination.

Although this work is not the most comprehensive collocations dictionary on the market, it is probably the most useful. Clear definitions, carefully selected examples and numerous notes throughout the dictionary make it possible for learners to use all those collocations accurately and confidently.

Again, Longman is at the forefront of ELT publishing, and I can´t get enough of it.

Keeping up with the times: Diccionario Pedagógico Bilingüe (online version)

I´m pleased to tell you that an excellent bilingual dictionary, edited by Francisco Sánchez Benedito and Francisco Gámez Gámez, is now available on the internet. Free.

I´ve written about that dictionary before, and now I must say it is even better. For me, it was a pleasure to use the printed edition. The online version takes that to a new level.

Thanks are due to both Pacos, and to the rest of the editorial team.

Oxford Collocations Dictionary

Collocation is an integral part of natural-sounding language. The way some words typically combine with others to form phrases is called "collocation". You can put any words you like together but if they don't "collocate", they won't sound natural.

For example, in Spanish we say "fuertes lluvias", which is translated into English as "heavy rain". Now, if you translate the Spanish phrase literally, you'd say "strong rains", which would sound odd (or funny) to a native speaker's ears!

To help with this important aspect of language, Oxford University Press published an excellent collocations dictionary which is currently in its second edition. It goes without saying that I am one of the proud owners of such dictionary.

If you want to learn more about the Oxford Collocations Dictionary, click on the picture below.

Do you use dictionaries on a regular basis?

Yes
No

My favourite monolingual dictionary

picture from this site

There are many excellent monolingual dictionaries out there but Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (LDCE) has been my personal favourite for a long time.  

The dictionary has a lot going for it: a colourful, clear, user-friendly layout with the most comprehensive content plus a variety of interesting and useful features. If you are highly motivated to learn English, LDCE offers you all the words, phrases and expressions you need to become a fluent user of the language.

You can learn more about this dictionary by clicking on the link provided.

My favourite bilingual dictionary

picture from this site

This learner's bilingual dictionary was seven years in the making before its publication in 2010 by Editorial Vértice. Edited by Francisco Sánchez Benedito and Francisco Gámez Gámez, it is probably the best medium-sized bilingual dictionary currently on sale:

- Comprehensive and up-to-date
- Clear layout
- Accurate translations with collocations and notes to help you use the words correctly
- Special attention to idioms, sayings and phrasal verbs
- Extensive coverage of informal, vulgar and taboo language
- All entries pronounced on DVD-ROM by native speakers
- Notes on grammar, usage and culture
- Collection of the most common mistakes by Spanish speakers
- Useful Appendices