Using an Online Dictionary
Details
Main Website:
Activity Website:
Tech Product/Equipment:
Computer and projector, Mobile devices for students, Speakers
Activity Description
This lesson will have students learn how to use an online dictionary.
Preparation
- Make sure that the Web site is not blocked at your school before using it with students.
- Set volume of computer at an adequate volume for using the audio component.
Teacher Tips
- Have students find other online dictionaries and highlight their use.
- Have students create their own vocabulary lists from talking to native speakers. Then let them look up those words too.
More Ways
Other features of the site include the following:
- A thesaurus
- Spanish-English translator
- A medical dictionary
- An encyclopedia
- Numerous quizzes and games (vocabulary, name that thing, commonly misspelled words, crosswords and many more that would be fun warm-ups and fillers)
- Word of the Day (which you can subscribe to and a new word will be sent to your e-mail daily) would be a great daily vocabulary teaching/learning opportunity for advanced ESL students, and the video section contains explanations of grammar and spelling rules, slang, commonly confused words and more that would be appropriate for viewing as warm-ups and fillers in an advanced ESL class
- English teachers, linguists, and word-lovers will especially enjoy the Top Ten Lists (for example, Favorite Words from Foreign Languages, Unusual Phobias, Words for Things You Didn't Know Have Names, Funny-Sounding and Interesting Words, and many more), Trend Watch, and Seen & Heard
- There are a number of apps available , which include voice search
Program Areas
- ESL: English as a Second Language
Levels
- Intermediate Low
- Intermediate High
- Advanced
- Beginning High