Advanced learner's dictionary

{{short description|Type of monolingual learner's dictionary}}

File:Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary of Current English.jpg of Current English. Special edition in two volumes (USSR, 1982).]]

The advanced learner's dictionary is the most common type of monolingual learner's dictionary, that is, a dictionary written in one language only, for someone who is learning a foreign language. It differs from a bilingual or translation dictionary, a standard dictionary written for native speakers, or a children's dictionary. Its definitions are usually built on a restricted defining vocabulary. "Advanced" usually refers learners with a proficiency level of B2 or above according to the Common European Framework. Basic learner's dictionaries also exist.

Although these advanced dictionaries have been produced for learners of several languages (including Chinese, Dutch, German, and Spanish), the majority are written for learners of English.

Printed

The best-known advanced learner's dictionaries are:

The Macmillan dictionary is no longer being maintained: it went online-only in the 2010s and shut down entirely in 2023. So there are four popular learner's dictionaries for British English that are still active, while Merriam-Webster's aims for American English in particular.

Online

Online dictionary resources provide attractive support to advanced learners. The Open Dictionary of English is specifically designed to serve as a learner's dictionary. Visitors can register for free, adaptive tutoring, which seamlessly integrates with the dictionary.{{cn|date=July 2020}}

See also

Further reading

  • {{cite journal|last1=Bogaards|first1=Paul|title=The evolution of learners' dictionaries and Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's English Dictionary|journal=Kernerman Dictionary News|date=July 2010|issue=18|pages=6–15|url=http://kdictionaries.com/kdn/kdn18.pdf|access-date=2016-10-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160928131012/http://kdictionaries.com/kdn/kdn18.pdf|archive-date=2016-09-28|url-status=dead}}
  • {{cite book|last1=Heuberger|first1=Reinhard|editor1-last=Durkin|editor1-first=Philip|title=The Oxford Handbook of Lexicography|date=2016|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=Oxford|isbn=9780199691630|pages=25–43|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3yjYCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA25|chapter=Learner's Dictionaries: History and Development; Current Issues}}
  • {{cite web|last1=Szynalski|first1=Tomasz P.|title=Comparative review of dictionaries for English learners|url=http://www.antimoon.com/how/learners-dictionaries-review.htm|website=Antimoon}}