Writing Tips for Learners #1: Top 7 Online Dictionaries & Other Tools

When writing, there are many times when we are not sure what word to use, or we don’t know if the expression we used is correct or not, or we simply want to use a word we only know in our mother tongue. In these cases, my students normally turn to Google Translate or another online translator, they type in the word, and then copy (and paste) the result. It is by no means wrong to do this, but in some cases it might be counterproductive in an English learning context. Why would that be? Let’s see three important reasons:

1. Translators often give you only the most common translation of a word, and do not normally account for all its possible meanings. Therefore, if you look up a polysemic word (that is, with multiple meanings) it is likely to be mistranslated. Moreover, if you introduce a whole sentence, the translator is even more likely to mistranslate the whole message. For example, some translators will not know if by “coach” you mean “entrenador” or “autocar”, or if by “duro” you mean “hard” or “a five-peseta coin”. Here’s an example of a terrible English-to-Spanish translation I came across in New York. I’m sure it was translated using a terrible online translator!
2. The process of translating a word using a translator is not enriching, it’s lazy! You simply type in a word, check out its translation, copy and paste. You don’t learn anything in the process besides the translation of the word.  However, if you use a dictionary, you will adopt an active role, as you will have to read the definition in English, in order to understand the word you are looking up.
3. In many cases, translators don’t provide you with a context such as an example sentence with the word in it. Therefore, it can be difficult for a learner to fit that word into a particular text.

Thankfully, Google Translate, among others (I suppose and hope), is quickly improving these aspects. However, you should not rely entirely on it, and forget about dictionaries and other interesting sources. Remember, online translators are not as intelligent as people! So, whenever you need to look up a word, phrase or idiomatic expression, its meaning or its translation, try combining your common sense with one of the following websites.

1. www.wordreference.com: this website provides you with different translations of the same word. By reading those translations, you can decide which is the one you are looking for. Besides, it gives you a list of expressions in which that same word is used. If after using it you still haven’t found what you were looking for, there is a forum where you can ask or just check out what other people have asked about the same topic before you.
   
2. www.oxforddictionaries.com: this online dictionary, very useful for upper-intermediate and advanced learners, will give you full definitions of words as well as different contexts in which you will find that word. You can also listen to the pronunciation as well as check the phonetic transcription of the words. Very useful and always extremely up to date!
   
   
3. www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com: this is the «learner version» of the previous one. It breaks down some definitions and uses of the words for English learners to understand words more easily.
   
4. www.macmillandictionary.com: this one is very useful too, especially for active English learners. You will find, apart from a clear definition, examples of how to use a word. Besides, with words that are difficult to use, such as “suggest” or “recommend” (as reporting verbs), it provides you with some rules and many different examples so you understand how it is used. Finally, in many of the definitions you find boxes of collocations (words that often occur in combination with the word you looked up). This aspect is particularly important when writing!
   
5. www.dictionary.cambridge.org: this famous dictionary is a mixture of characteristics of the Oxford and the MacMillan dictionaries. It offers clear definitions and a quick translation of the word.
   
6. www.thesaurus.com: this is a synonyms dictionary. Stop using words like “good” or “fine” in your compositions! It’s an awesome dictionary for expanding your vocabulary and improving your writing skills.
   
7. www.ozdic.com: this is a collocations dictionary. If you are writing and you use the word “view”, you can go to this dictionary and find out that “view” collocates with words like “optimistic”, “conventional”, “widely held”, “breathtaking”, “magnificent”, etc. Besides, you can also find out which prepositions work with different verbs, adjectives, etc., which is normally very difficult for English learners. If you still don’t understand what collocations are and their importance, follow  this link to find out!

So please, avoid only using translators. I’m not saying they are bad tools, but they are just not good enough! Don’t be afraid to try out new words and structures. That’s the most effective way to improve your language skills, especially the productive ones (speaking and writing).

I truly hope this post has been of interest! Please feel free to comment, like and share!

Keep Smiling!

Note: This post has been adapted from Kelington Institute’s Facebook update on 6th May 2014.