Lesson 1: Mastering Your Monolingual Dictionary
Your Most Powerful Vocabulary Tool
Welcome to our B2 series on learning strategies! As a beginner, you probably used a bilingual dictionary to translate words from English to Khmer. This is a good first step. But to reach the next level, you need to start thinking in English. The best tool for this is a monolingual learner's dictionary.
Key Vocabulary
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Monolingual
Involving or using only one language.
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Nuance
A very slight difference in appearance, meaning, or sound.
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Entry
A word or phrase in a dictionary, with its definition.
Why Use a Monolingual Dictionary?
- It forces you to think in English. You are not constantly switching your brain between two languages.
- You learn more vocabulary. While reading the definition of one word, you will see other related words.
- You understand the nuance. It provides example sentences that show how the word is really used in a natural context.
- It improves your reading skills. You get more practice reading and understanding full English sentences.
Anatomy of a Dictionary Entry
A good learner's dictionary entry provides a wealth of information. Let's look at a sample entry for the word "analyze" and break down what it tells us.
an·a·lyze
- Part of Speech: verb
This tells us the word is an action. We know how to use it in a sentence (e.g., "I analyze," "She analyzes"). - Pronunciation: /ˈæn.ə.laɪz/
This phonetic script shows the exact pronunciation. Listening to the audio pronunciation is also very helpful. - Definition: To study or examine something in detail, in order to discover more about it.
The meaning of the word, explained in English. - Example Sentence: "The teacher asked us to analyze the poem."
This is the most important part! It shows you exactly how the word is used in a real context. - Collocations: analyze data, analyze the results, carefully analyze.
These are words that are frequently used together with "analyze." Learning them makes you sound more natural. - Word Family: analysis (noun), analytical (adjective).
Learning the whole family helps you expand your vocabulary much faster. (e.g., "Her analysis was very analytical.")
How to Use It: A Real Example
Imagine you are reading an article about developing the economy in Kampot and you see the word "strategy." You look it up in your monolingual dictionary.
- You find the word: strategy.
- You see its part of speech: noun.
- You read the definition: "a detailed plan for achieving success in situations such as war, politics, business, industry, or sport."
- You read the example sentence: "The company developed a new marketing strategy to attract more tourists."
- You note down a collocation: develop a strategy.
Now, you don't just know the meaning. You know it's a noun, you know how it's used in a sentence, and you know it collocates with the verb "develop." This is deep learning!
In Conversation
Bora finds a new word in a book and asks Srey for help.
Bora: Srey, I'm reading a news article and I don't know this word: 'commute'.
Srey: Hmm, I'm not sure either. Let's use the Oxford Learner's Dictionary online instead of just translating it.
Bora: Okay. What does it say?
Srey: (Reading from her phone) Okay, it says here it's a verb. The definition is 'to travel regularly between your home and your place of work'.
Bora: Ah, I see! Like how I travel to my job every day.
Srey: Exactly. And the example sentence is "She commutes from the countryside to the city every day." That makes it very clear.
Bora: Does it have the pronunciation?
Srey: Yes. (She clicks the 🔊 icon). Using this dictionary gives us so much more information!
Check Your Understanding
- What is a monolingual dictionary?
- a) A dictionary that translates English to Khmer.
- b) A dictionary that explains English words using only English.
- c) A dictionary with only pictures.
Answer: b) A dictionary that explains English words using only English.
- What is a major benefit of using a learner's dictionary?
- a) It helps you stop translating and start thinking in English.
- b) It is very difficult to understand.
- c) It has no example sentences.
Answer: a) It helps you stop translating and start thinking in English.
- When you look up a word, what is the most important part of the entry to read to understand its use?
- a) The pronunciation guide.
- b) The part of speech.
- c) The example sentences.
Answer: c) The example sentences.
Your Mission
- Dictionary Detective: Choose any new English word you have learned recently. Look it up in a good online monolingual dictionary (like Oxford Learner's Dictionaries, Cambridge, or Merriam-Webster). In your notebook, write down its: a) part of speech, b) definition, c) an example sentence.
- Family Tree: The word "create" is a verb. Use a dictionary to find the noun form for a thing that is created, and the noun form for the person who creates.
- Start the Habit: From now on, try to look up every new word you learn in a monolingual dictionary first. Create a special notebook just for your "deep learning" entries, including all the parts from the lesson above. This is the best habit for serious vocabulary growth.