Episode 206
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Hi, everybody! I am Georgiana, your English teacher and founder of SpeakEnglishPodcast.com. My mission is to help you speak English fluently.
Today, we will talk about a topic that I'm sure you will find very useful.
I will talk about the best English dictionaries.
Okay. Let's get started.
We have all used an English dictionary at one time or another. And I think it was easier before the Internet. Everyone had a single dictionary at home and consulted it in paper format.
And then, for a short time, people used dictionaries on their computers.
But then came the Internet. And everything became faster, more convenient, but also more confusing. Because right now, we have more dictionaries at our disposal than ever.
So let's see what are the most used English dictionaries on the Internet:
Then we have, the Free Dictionary which is one of the most famous dictionaries for pronunciation. It offers all the basics you need as a pronunciation resource. You can search by words, characters, or text with this dictionary to find definitions and voice pronunciations. In addition, you can compare the pronunciation differences between American and British English. And in case you want to use your mobile or tablet, they also have an app for iPhone and Android.
There is also the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, one of the most respected dictionaries of the English language. It offers phonetic translations, Spanish to English translations, and a medical dictionary. It also provides information on the history and etymology of words.
And many people use the Cambridge Dictionary online. It has three outstanding features: dictionary, grammar, and translator. If you are looking for a very detailed historical resource, this is for you.
Collins Dictionary is one of the best platforms for students, translators, and teachers. It comes with unique options that can help you improve your grammar and fluency. Its search engine has an auto-suggest feature that allows you to select the word you are looking for by just typing a few letters.
The Oxford Dictionary is one of the oldest and most trusted online dictionaries. It is the ideal dictionary to use when writing a thesis or research paper.
Even though it is the last on the list, Dictionary.com is the one I use regularly. This dictionary has earned the trust of millions of users worldwide for the last two decades. And one of my favorite features is the audio pronunciation. It is the dictionary I recommend if you want to consult and practice the pronunciation of American English words.
Now, let’s practice.
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IMPROVE YOUR SPEAKING
Mini-Story: Speaking Practice
Answer the questions aloud with short and quick responses. Repeat the Mini-Story several times to improve your speaking and listening.
In a faraway country, there were many thousands of different kinds of dictionaries.
Where were there thousands of different kinds of dictionaries?
In a faraway country. In a faraway country, there were thousands of different kinds of dictionaries.
How many kinds of dictionaries were there?
Thousands. There were thousands of dictionaries.
What kind of book was there?
Dictionaries. There were thousands of different kinds of dictionaries.
So, it wasn't obvious to find the right dictionary for each situation.
Was it a little or very confusing to find the right dictionary?
Very confusing. It wasn't obvious to try to find the right dictionary.
What was confusing?
Finding the right dictionary for each situation.
Was it confusing to find any dictionary or the right dictionary?
The right dictionary. It was confusing to find the right dictionary.
Consequently, Lisa had the fantastic idea of writing a dictionary catalog.
Did Lisa have a horrible idea?
No. No. She had a fantastic idea.
Did she have the idea of writing a romance novel with her boyfriend in mind?
No. No. She had the idea of writing a dictionary catalog.
What kind of catalog?
A dictionary catalog.
The catalog consisted of thousands of listings with the names of the available dictionaries.
Did the catalog consist of a list of dishes?
No. No. It didn't consist of a list of dishes.
What did the catalog consist of?
It consisted of thousands of listings with the names of the available dictionaries.
Lisa's catalog was such a success that others started writing thousands of dictionary catalogs just like her.
Did the others start writing self-help books?
No. No. Not self-help books. They started writing catalogs just like Lisa.
Who was the first person to write dictionary catalogs?
Lisa. She was the first.
How many catalogs did they start writing? Hundreds? Thousands?
Thousands. They started writing thousands and thousands of dictionary catalogs.
Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you in the next episode.
Review
Vocabulary
Review the most useful words and expressions before listening again.
dictionary
a reference source that explains words and meanings.
monolingual dictionary
a dictionary that explains words in the same language.
bilingual dictionary
a dictionary that translates between two languages.
pronunciation
the way a word is spoken.
definition
a statement explaining the meaning of a word.
example sentence
a sentence showing how a word is used.
thesaurus
a reference source listing synonyms and related words.
look up
search for information about a word or expression.
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