Lesson 1: Mastering Your Monolingual Dictionary
Your Most Powerful Vocabulary Tool
At the B2 level, one of the most important steps you can take is to switch from a bilingual (e.g., Khmer-English) to a monolingual1 (English-English) dictionary. Why? Because it forces you to think in English. It also gives you a much deeper understanding of a word's nuance2, context, and use. A dictionary is more than just a list of definitions; it's a complete guide to using a word correctly.
Anatomy of a Dictionary Entry
A good dictionary entry3 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!
quiz Check Your Understanding
1. Which part of a dictionary entry helps you sound more natural by showing words that often go together?
- a) Definition
- b) Word Family
- c) Collocations
Click to see the answer
Answer: c) Collocations
2. If you want to know if a word is a noun, verb, or adjective, you should look at the...
- a) Part of Speech
- b) Example Sentence
- c) Pronunciation
Click to see the answer
Answer: a) Part of Speech
3. What is the most important reason to use a monolingual dictionary?
- a) It is usually free.
- b) It forces you to think in English and understand words more deeply.
- c) It has more words than a bilingual dictionary.
Click to see the answer
Answer: b) It forces you to think in English and understand words more deeply.
edit 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.