Create Your Own Dictionary – The Linguist on Language

When learning a new language, some learners prefer dictionaries. They read them, treasure them, and strive to find the best possible dictionary. Some even like monolingual dictionaries, which explain the meaning of a foreign language word in the language being learned. Personally, I view dictionaries as a quick reference for word meanings to aid in my reading or listening. I understand that encountering a new word multiple times in various contexts is necessary to fully grasp its meaning, nuances, and common collocations.

For me, the dictionary definition serves as a starting point in learning a new word. I believe in keeping a record of dictionary searches to recognize words when encountered in different contexts, even if I may have forgotten the exact meaning and need to infer a new nuance to suit the context. This process feels like building my own personalized dictionary.

The Best Approach for Me

I am not fond of traditional dictionaries as using them feels like a one-sided effort. Despite looking up words diligently, the retention of meanings is minimal once the dictionary is closed. This leaves me feeling unfulfilled. Without the ability to log my searches and add words to a searchable database of encountered vocabulary, I sense a loss of time.

The challenge intensifies with monolingual dictionaries as the word explanations often contain unfamiliar terms, necessitating further lookups to comprehend the definition. This recursive process is time-consuming and inefficient. I prefer a swift lookup and return to my reading material without distractions.

While a dictionary remains essential for navigating new and complex texts in foreign languages, especially those with distinct writing systems like Chinese, Japanese, and Korean, where traditional dictionaries can be cumbersome, I find that minimizing the time spent on dictionary searches is beneficial.

Hence, my approach, particularly in the initial stages of language learning, involves reading online and utilizing digital dictionaries for instant translations and explanations to aid comprehension. This allows me to concentrate on understanding the text without being bogged down by traditional dictionaries.

When reading offline, I let unfamiliar words pass by, knowing that continued reading, mostly online, will reintroduce these words for better understanding or further lookup. Traditional dictionaries are inefficient, and I prefer creating my personalized vocabulary database.

Online Dictionaries Alone Are Insufficient

I seek assurance that the words I research are not forgotten and may require periodic review. I desire a dynamic database of new vocabulary linked to real-world examples from my reading and listening practices, ideally featuring authentic content.

By engaging with content that genuinely interests me, rather than learner-oriented material, I find language acquisition more engaging and rapid. The dictionary serves as a tool to facilitate learning from listening and reading materials, not as the primary focus.

My dissatisfaction with traditional learning materials, often lacking engaging content, led me to develop LingQ. This platform enables access to intriguing content while building a repository of vocabulary, both digitally and mentally, without interruptions during reading.

Create Your Own Dictionary!

At LingQ, I can explore content from the library or import material of interest from external sources. I can save new words and phrases to my personal database for future study. These saved items, known as LingQs, offer explanations and translations and are highlighted when they reappear in other texts. Tools like Flash Cards aid in reviewing them at any time.