| Body | This activity was created to support langauge learners of all proficiency levels in understanding how to use dictionaries to support their writing and communication. The activity begins with a consideration of what to pay attention to within a given entry or set of entries and ends with circumlocution practice to lessen learners' dependence on outside resources.
Learning outcomes:
Learners will be able to:
- Identify clues within a dictionary that given insight into appropriate word choice
- Demonstrate development of circumlocution skills
Mode(s): Presentational
Materials: Using Dictionaries in Presentational Writing video, a dictionary entry or page of entries
Procedure:
- Think of a word in the L1 that has multiple meanings. Ask learners to brainstorm all of the possible meanings of the word (e.g., the English word fly is both a noun and a verb).
- Ask learners to explain how they know the intended meaning of the word when it is written or spoken. Possible answers could include imagery (e.g., from advertisements, memes, or the like), contextual clues within an utterance, or an understanding of the general topic being written about or discussed.
- Show learners the Using Dictionaries in Presentational Writing video. Have them look at an entry in a dictionary (of the word discussed in Step 1) and identify the various clues that exist that help them understand the most accurate word to select when using the source. Mark the entry (In online contexts, use a tool such as a Google Drawings or a PDF editor. In face-to-face contexts, learners may mark a paper copy of the entry) to indicate important clues mentioned in the video including part of speech, example sentences, and the variety of possible definitions at play.
- Provide an example sentence in the target language with a blank for each use of the word discussed in Step 1. Ask learners to identify the most appropriate use of the term for each blank.
- Next, ask learners whether they needed a dictionary at all to communicate the meaning of the word. Brainstorm possible synonyms or ways to circumlocute the word for each possible meaning.
- If time allows, give learners the opportunity to play circumlocution games. Explain that the purpose of the games is to support learners in communicating using only the words that they know and to lessen their dependence on outside resources such as dictionaries.
Notes:
- In Step 2, it may be necessary to use a dictionary in the L1 and the L2, or it may be appropriate for your learners to use a dictionary that is completely in the L2. For example, if the word is difficult for learners because one word in the L1 has multiple L2 translations, a dictionary in both languages might be the most appropriate source. However, if the the word is difficult because it has multiple construals in the L2, a dictionary in the L2 might be the most appropriate source.
- Improve the learner-centeredness of Step 3 by having learners look at a page of entries and identify the categories themselves.
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