Structural Development of Oxford Advanced Learners’ Dictionary

Abstract

Oxford Advanced Learners' Dictionary (OALD) stands out, on the EFL market, as the only EFL dictionary which has been continuously republished for over 70 years. With each new edition upgraded, OALD conforms to the contemporary language teaching and learning processes worldwide. This article presents its structural development-an evolution from its very first, Japanese edition in 1942 towards the latest one in 2015. The analysis deals with the development and changes within the macrostructural (front matter, the body, appendices) and microstructural (headword, spelling, pronunciation, part of speech, senses, definitions, illustrations, usage) frames of the dictionary. Keywords: macrostructure, microstructure, verb-patterns, OALD IntroductionWith development of science and technology, education and knowledge of foreign languages have become extremely important. Increased foreign language learners' needs have led to the cooperation of language teachers and dictionary compilers, which has resulted in certain observations that have set the stage for the development of a special foreign language learner dictionary 1 , which was first published during the 1930s 2 ."Equipped" with special additions, such a dictionary has had a considerable educational role in learning a foreign language since it enables the learners to improve their knowledge and language skills. As the greatest novelty of the 20th century, EFL dictionaries have made a significant contribution to English lexicography the more so their development does not stagnate. Owing to the longest tradition on the EFL market, which lasts about as much as the genre, OxfordAdvanced Learners' Dictionary has been the first serious contributor to the genre. Today, the OALD's editors carefully supervise and examine EFL learners' lexicographically relevant needs and according to them upgrade the dictionary's macro-and micro-structural elements. The following (sub)chapters deal with the elaboration of the OALD's macro-and micro-structural elements throughout its development. A Brief History of OALDOxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary is the first EFL dictionary aimed at more competent i.e. advanced foreign learner. Since its very first publication in Japan in 1942, under the title Idiomatic and Syntactic English Dictionary (ISED), the dictionary has been republished nine times by Oxford University Press under the title Advanced Learners' Dictionary (ALD) / Oxford Advanced Learners' Dictionary (OALD). Behind the dictionary's creation is a fascinating story of a "simple teacher" whose passion for language teaching changed the way the world learns English.Albert Sydney Hornby, the author of OALD, was an English teacher in a small provincial college in Japan.He made language learning approachable by always using clear and understandable English. Hornby's interest in ordinary English words and phrases became almost obsessive. He would "hear and see things, make a note on a sheet of paper or a card, and drop it into a box" (The Man Who Made Dictionaries, 2015 Dictionaries, 20...

Nursing students’ perception towards educational environment in governmental Universities of Southwest Ethiopia: A qualitative study

“…A less conducive educational environment reduces the performance of students and a reason for the poor quality of education. Currently, throughout the world, there is limited information about nursing students’ perception of their educational environment [ 6 , 7 ]. Thus the present study explored nursing students’ opinions towards their educational environment in governmental Universities of southwest Ethiopia ( S1 Table ).…”

“…It has a crucial role in enhancing students’ growth, competency, critical thinking, independence, sense of mental wellbeing, and self-confidence [ 3 ]. Students’ satisfaction, academic success, and effective curriculum and instructors are the major indicators of teaching and learning quality and are related to several outcomes [ 4 – 6 ]. Besides EE influences how, why, and what students learn, which is vital in the success of the educational program [ 7 ].…”