01.11.2022
How to choose an English-Russian dictionary
Every person who decides to learn English almost immediately begins to wonder how to choose a good dictionary. This book’s main purpose is to give you the transcription and the right translation, and you won’t get very far without these aspects. Your EnglishPapa teachers have agreed to share their knowledge and reveal a few best practice tips to help you choose your ideal dictionary.
There are now many interactive English-Russian and Russian-English dictionaries on the Internet. Among them there are stand-alone versions installed on your computer, as well as those requiring permanent access to the Internet. The most authoritative are the Oxford and Cambridge dictionaries. No one disputes that for translation of large texts and electronic documents such dictionaries are a good option, but when the need arises to translate words a couple, turning on the computer is not the most rational option. In addition, it is not always readily available. On the other hand, a compact, but good hardcover dictionary, which can be carried in a backpack or even in a large pocket.
So, what do you need to know to pick up a decent paper dictionary? Oddly enough, the first thing to check is the paper quality it’s made from. Look out for dictionaries with matt pages. Among them, look for those with a grayish-yellow tone to the paper. You may not think it’s the prettiest dictionary, but your eyes take care! Glossy paper, which attracts attention with its whiteness, can cause visual impairment. This is due to unnatural light a lot reflection, which will blind your eyes. Remember, it is not the dictionary beauty that matters, but its content and its use safety for your health.
The next point is the font size. When looking for the right word, you should not feel uncomfortable or strain your eyes. The font should be easy to read. The optimal height for a lowercase letter is 2-3 mm. Line spacing is just as important. Moving from one line to another, the text should not merge and scatter in your eyes. A comfortable spacing is 1 line. A big plus for the dictionary is bolded English words. It will be much easier for you to see the word you are looking for when searching alphabetically.
The most important issue is determining the dictionary optimum length and content. Teachers who teach English courses for adults recommend choosing at least three dictionaries instead of one. For beginners, we suggest the following set.
1. Pocket Dictionary. Important: Choose a book with two directions for translation. It should be smaller than half an A4 sheet and the pages number should be at least half a thousand.
2. An average English-Russian dictionary with the half an A4 sheet size and the pages number about seven hundred. Consider W.K. Müller’s dictionary.
3. A large dictionary. A little smaller than a scrapbook, 1,000 pages with words and phrases. You may want to choose a suitable dictionary with an emphasis on your field specifics.
Additional material usually placed at a dictionary the beginning or end is also important. Tables, rules and exceptions are very useful and handy to have on hand.
If you intend to study in the US or England, it is a good idea to add the following to the list above: English personal names a dictionary, country names a dictionary and place names a dictionary.
At the EnglishPapa we wish you every success in your English studies and are here to help in any way we can!
We hope our article was useful for you. We invite you to take our English courses for adults at our school to start learning English or to improve your knowledge. Take an English level test on our website and sign up for a free trial lesson of English online. With EnglishPapa, you will definitely begin to speak English!
