There is little, if any, doubt that dictionaries constitute invaluable reference material and can be a rich source of input for us, learners of English as a Foreign Language (EFL). There are a number of different dictionaries we can use, depending on our purposes. If we are looking up a word such as work up in It is necessary to work up a schedule for 2011, a general dictionary would serve our purpose. However, as you may know, if we are reading a text dealing with the construction of pipe cutters, and we need to pin down the meaning of saddle cuts, such a dictionary will probably not be of any use. We'll have to refer to a specialized dictionary.
Also, it is critical to decode the signs and information packed in a dictionary, such as pronunciation reference, for example, BrE / AmE for varieties of English or grammatical data, like [C] or [U] for countable and uncountable nouns. Pronouncing – as well as general-purpose – dictionaries usually contain a set of pages specifying and explaining the terms and symbols used. Phonemic symbols are a must to handle when it comes to using pronunciation dictionaries, but that may not be enough. Word stress patterns are part of the identity of words. One-, and possibly, two-syllable words may pose no problems. But from three syllables on, words may have patterns EFL learners may not be able to predict. For this reason, one important thing to do when looking up a word’s pronunciation is to locate where stress(es) go(es). Some dictionaries use a mark above the syllable ( ˈ ) to show primary stress and a mark below ( ˌ ) to indicate secondary stress. An equally important but a bit harder thing to do would be to identify the accentuation (= also called prominence) pattern of so-called idioms and set phrases. Apart from knowing what a particular expression means, it is normally as relevant to find where the last prominent syllable (= tonic) should be placed. By way of example, the phrase
Phil didn’t want to get his hands dirty with it.
may be pronounced with perfect-sounding consonants and vowels, yet with the meaning wrongly expressed if care were not taken with accentuation. We might feel tempted to put the tonic on dirty. That might be OK if the meaning intended were literal. This phrase, however, often has the idiomatic meaning of “doing physical work”. Therefore, the tonic is normally on hands. Unfortunately, there aren’t many dictionaries informing us of these patterns. One source I know could be consulted to this end is the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. The book and CD-ROM versions do bring tonicity information about these phrases but the online one apparently doesn’t. Just check it out!
