January 8, 2012 at 01:29Choosing an e-book for learners of English
In this article, we will consider one point that is significant when choosing an e-book for people who are actively studying English. It will be about the use of built-in dictionaries, especially English-English (explanatory) ones, such as those that most contribute to the expansion of the vocabulary, actively involve the brain in creating connections between various elements of the language and develop the ability to think in the language being studied. After reading many reviews and various FAQs, I found that this issue is not specifically covered anywhere. Thus, I decided that it makes sense to share my thoughts and write a note without claims to exhaustive analysis.
When choosing a reader that will be used to read materials in English using the explanatory En-En dictionary, we must take into account such points:
1. The presence of a touch screen.
2. The choice of dictionaries.
3. Ease of use of dictionaries.
Go.
Everything is obvious here, words are most conveniently marked by touching them on the screen. In principle, you can use a reader with a screen without touch control - with the cursor moving to the search word with a joystick (for example, Kindle Keyboard, Kindle 4). As the owner of the Kindle Keyboard, I’ll say that such a practice gets bored very quickly, so this option should be considered only if the function that is the subject of this analysis is used sporadically and is not a priority.
It makes sense to consider sequentially the situation with dictionaries that are officially delivered, and then additional features and nuances that are opened with the participation of skillful pens.
Hereinafter, the analysis will go in relation to Kindle (Keyboard and Touch) and Nook Simple Touch readers as devices that I personally used. These are very high-quality, affordable and very popular (gaining popularity) devices.
Here the situation with the official delivery is rather unfavorable for us - the Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary is installed in the device. This dictionary is intended mainly for native speakers, many dictionary entries are quite difficult to understand. The American teachers with whom I spoke on the subject of advice in choosing a dictionary expressed the same opinion - this thing is not the best option for language learners.
We go further to the skillful hands. An important feature of NST is that it runs on Android. And this means that at the moment, comprehensive instructions on its root have already been laid out on the forums and the experience of many people in this matter has been accumulated. After the root, you can install one of the most advanced readers for Android Cool Reader (there is a version specially adapted for NST) with which shell programs (for example, Fora Dictionary) are successfully integrated, where you can connect a variety of dictionaries in popular formats.
The New Oxford American Dictionary and the Oxford Dictionary of English come standard with the device. Dictionaries are also not specifically designed for language learners, but, subjectively, I personally use them more comfortably than the Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. Optionally, you can buy from Amazon a Kindle version of another dictionary - Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary ($ 10.96), this explanatory dictionary has already been created specifically for language learners (unlike the Collegiate Dictionary). The speed and effectiveness of understanding dictionary entries is dramatically different. Now it is he who stands on my Kindle.
As for the opportunities available for skillful pens, you don’t need to jailbreak here, just fill in the dictionaries in the appropriate folder in a format clear for Kindle, after which they will be available in the main dictionary selection window. A large collection of such dictionaries is available on the forum www.the-ebook.org/forum. I take my hat off to enthusiasts who have done all this work to convert dictionaries to the desired format. At the same time, in the work of those dictionaries that I needed and were available only there, some bugs were revealed in the display of special symbols for transcription. Unfortunately, despite the fact that the enthusiasts did a great job, I would not yet talk about the perfect work of the resulting product. Although, I emphasize, for most users, I think this is absolutely not critical. It can be more annoying than really making it difficult to understand what the main function is.
And about the choice of the dictionary, one of the best in my opinion is the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English. Extremely convenient for language learners. In this dictionary, the meanings of all (almost all) words are explained using a limited set of 2000 base words. I wanted to put it on my Kindle, but due to the bug that I mentioned in the paragraph above, I chose to leave the Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary, and I installed Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English as a separate application on the iPhone, which I honestly bought for $ 25 . I hope the guys from Longman still someday release a Kindle version of their wonderful vocabulary.
In addition, for those interested in the selection and comparison of En-En explanatory dictionaries, you can read the materials in English at the links:
Comparative review of dictionaries for English learners.
How to buy a good English dictionary.
on the website there is a forum on the links, where various nuances are also discussed.
In Nuka, in order to look at a word in the dictionary during reading, it is necessary to mark it with a long tap, after which a set of options will appear at the bottom of the screen (partial redrawing of the screen) from which you need to select look up, as a result of which you will open a dictionary entry from the MW Collegiate Dictionary (the screen is fully updated - blinking). And here absolutely absurd and incomprehensible things are discovered - it turns out that inside a dictionary entry you cannot call a word from an explanation text and go over to its dictionary entry sequentially. Also, from the body of the text, you cannot call a word wrapped on a new line with a hyphen. You also cannot enable word search from the virtual keyboard. In general, the impression of the official implementation of this functionality in NST is extremely depressing.
We turn to the analysis of the convenience of working with NST after the root. Here, during an experiment with a bunch of Cool Reader + Fora Dictionary, the most unpleasant discovery for me was a multiple full update (blinking) of the screen during the transition from choosing a word to opening a dictionary entry. As far as I know (from forum communication), it is not possible to install a managed (partial-full) redrawing of an e-ink screen in Android. If someone knows how to implement this, you will do a great and necessary job by sharing your knowledge. The need to observe the multiple flashing of the screen in order to see the meaning of one word for me completely leveled the whole appeal of the root. Although here, it may make sense to conduct a deeper analysis.
The great convenience of this wonderful device is that when you move the cursor with the joystick or tap the word you want, the beginning of the dictionary entry (2 lines) immediately appears at the bottom or top of the screen without a complete redrawing and the accompanying blinking. If these lines of definition are not enough for understanding (this is the case in most cases), you can invoke the entire dictionary entry (a complete redrawing will occur). Inside a dictionary article, you can view the meanings of the words you are interested in in the text of the explanation in the same way, you can type the desired word from the keyboard. Ideally, I would like, of course, to be able to increase the area of the preview of the dictionary entry, which goes without a full screen update, and the ability to connect a full-fledged Longman in a format clear to Kindle. And so
In my opinion, a good bunch for reading English literature with the active use of En-En explanatory dictionaries is the Kindle Touch reader with the optional MW Advanced Learner's Dictionary installed as the main one. Additionally - a smartphone (on Android or iPhone) with the installed Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English. I will be glad if this research is useful to someone as a ready-made solution or for someone it will become the starting point for consciously choosing another combination taking into account individual needs and preferences.
When choosing a reader that will be used to read materials in English using the explanatory En-En dictionary, we must take into account such points:
1. The presence of a touch screen.
2. The choice of dictionaries.
3. Ease of use of dictionaries.
Go.
Point 1 is the easiest - the touch screen is highly recommended for your reader
Everything is obvious here, words are most conveniently marked by touching them on the screen. In principle, you can use a reader with a screen without touch control - with the cursor moving to the search word with a joystick (for example, Kindle Keyboard, Kindle 4). As the owner of the Kindle Keyboard, I’ll say that such a practice gets bored very quickly, so this option should be considered only if the function that is the subject of this analysis is used sporadically and is not a priority.
2. Selection of dictionaries
It makes sense to consider sequentially the situation with dictionaries that are officially delivered, and then additional features and nuances that are opened with the participation of skillful pens.
Hereinafter, the analysis will go in relation to Kindle (Keyboard and Touch) and Nook Simple Touch readers as devices that I personally used. These are very high-quality, affordable and very popular (gaining popularity) devices.
So, let's start with Nook Simple Touch (hereinafter NST)
Here the situation with the official delivery is rather unfavorable for us - the Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary is installed in the device. This dictionary is intended mainly for native speakers, many dictionary entries are quite difficult to understand. The American teachers with whom I spoke on the subject of advice in choosing a dictionary expressed the same opinion - this thing is not the best option for language learners.
We go further to the skillful hands. An important feature of NST is that it runs on Android. And this means that at the moment, comprehensive instructions on its root have already been laid out on the forums and the experience of many people in this matter has been accumulated. After the root, you can install one of the most advanced readers for Android Cool Reader (there is a version specially adapted for NST) with which shell programs (for example, Fora Dictionary) are successfully integrated, where you can connect a variety of dictionaries in popular formats.
Kindle
The New Oxford American Dictionary and the Oxford Dictionary of English come standard with the device. Dictionaries are also not specifically designed for language learners, but, subjectively, I personally use them more comfortably than the Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. Optionally, you can buy from Amazon a Kindle version of another dictionary - Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary ($ 10.96), this explanatory dictionary has already been created specifically for language learners (unlike the Collegiate Dictionary). The speed and effectiveness of understanding dictionary entries is dramatically different. Now it is he who stands on my Kindle.
As for the opportunities available for skillful pens, you don’t need to jailbreak here, just fill in the dictionaries in the appropriate folder in a format clear for Kindle, after which they will be available in the main dictionary selection window. A large collection of such dictionaries is available on the forum www.the-ebook.org/forum. I take my hat off to enthusiasts who have done all this work to convert dictionaries to the desired format. At the same time, in the work of those dictionaries that I needed and were available only there, some bugs were revealed in the display of special symbols for transcription. Unfortunately, despite the fact that the enthusiasts did a great job, I would not yet talk about the perfect work of the resulting product. Although, I emphasize, for most users, I think this is absolutely not critical. It can be more annoying than really making it difficult to understand what the main function is.
And about the choice of the dictionary, one of the best in my opinion is the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English. Extremely convenient for language learners. In this dictionary, the meanings of all (almost all) words are explained using a limited set of 2000 base words. I wanted to put it on my Kindle, but due to the bug that I mentioned in the paragraph above, I chose to leave the Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary, and I installed Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English as a separate application on the iPhone, which I honestly bought for $ 25 . I hope the guys from Longman still someday release a Kindle version of their wonderful vocabulary.
In addition, for those interested in the selection and comparison of En-En explanatory dictionaries, you can read the materials in English at the links:
Comparative review of dictionaries for English learners.
How to buy a good English dictionary.
on the website there is a forum on the links, where various nuances are also discussed.
3. Ease of use
Nst
In Nuka, in order to look at a word in the dictionary during reading, it is necessary to mark it with a long tap, after which a set of options will appear at the bottom of the screen (partial redrawing of the screen) from which you need to select look up, as a result of which you will open a dictionary entry from the MW Collegiate Dictionary (the screen is fully updated - blinking). And here absolutely absurd and incomprehensible things are discovered - it turns out that inside a dictionary entry you cannot call a word from an explanation text and go over to its dictionary entry sequentially. Also, from the body of the text, you cannot call a word wrapped on a new line with a hyphen. You also cannot enable word search from the virtual keyboard. In general, the impression of the official implementation of this functionality in NST is extremely depressing.
We turn to the analysis of the convenience of working with NST after the root. Here, during an experiment with a bunch of Cool Reader + Fora Dictionary, the most unpleasant discovery for me was a multiple full update (blinking) of the screen during the transition from choosing a word to opening a dictionary entry. As far as I know (from forum communication), it is not possible to install a managed (partial-full) redrawing of an e-ink screen in Android. If someone knows how to implement this, you will do a great and necessary job by sharing your knowledge. The need to observe the multiple flashing of the screen in order to see the meaning of one word for me completely leveled the whole appeal of the root. Although here, it may make sense to conduct a deeper analysis.
Kindle
The great convenience of this wonderful device is that when you move the cursor with the joystick or tap the word you want, the beginning of the dictionary entry (2 lines) immediately appears at the bottom or top of the screen without a complete redrawing and the accompanying blinking. If these lines of definition are not enough for understanding (this is the case in most cases), you can invoke the entire dictionary entry (a complete redrawing will occur). Inside a dictionary article, you can view the meanings of the words you are interested in in the text of the explanation in the same way, you can type the desired word from the keyboard. Ideally, I would like, of course, to be able to increase the area of the preview of the dictionary entry, which goes without a full screen update, and the ability to connect a full-fledged Longman in a format clear to Kindle. And so
Eventually
In my opinion, a good bunch for reading English literature with the active use of En-En explanatory dictionaries is the Kindle Touch reader with the optional MW Advanced Learner's Dictionary installed as the main one. Additionally - a smartphone (on Android or iPhone) with the installed Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English. I will be glad if this research is useful to someone as a ready-made solution or for someone it will become the starting point for consciously choosing another combination taking into account individual needs and preferences.