Dictionaries are usually the first tool ESL students use to learn English and they are inexpensive. Using dictionaries properly is the most effective way to improve ESL students’ academic vocabulary and test performance. Here are 5 ways you can use dictionaries:
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Use dictionaries in the ESL classroom: This is the most common place teachers instruct students to use dictionaries. Getting students to recite the definitions and write sample sentences will help students to memorize the new words.
Recommendation:
Velázquez World Wide Spanish English Dictionary
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Use content-based dictionaries in the math, science and social studies classroom. Using content based dictionaries will help ESL students overcome the language barrier and focus on acquiring the content knowledge. For example, “exchange rate” is “tipo de cambio,” not “tasa de intercambio.” If you use a regular bilingual dictionary, students have to guess the correct definition and will be confused.
Recommendation:
Velázquez Spanish and English Glossary for the Mathematics Classroom
Velázquez Spanish and English Glossary for the Science Classroom
Velázquez Spanish and English Glossary for the Social Studies Classroom
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Use word-to-word dictionaries as Accommodations for the CST and CAHSEE. California allows students to use “word to word dictionary” (glossary) during STAR(CST) and CAHSEE testing. Using a dictionary as accommodation will help ESL students perform better on these tests by allowing them to understand questions they would traditionally miss because of not knowing the meaning of one or two words.
Recommendation:
Velázquez World Wide Spanish English Dictionary
Velázquez Spanish and English Glossary for the Mathematics Classroom
Velázquez Spanish and English Glossary for the Science Classroom
Velázquez Spanish and English Glossary for the Social Studies Classroom
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Use dictionaries at home. Dictionaries are one of the few books students can use by themselves without teacher instruction. Having dictionaries at home will also encourage parents to help students with homework.
Recommendation:
Velázquez Spanish and English Dictionary
Velázquez Spanish and English Dictionary Pocket Edition
Use dictionaries online for 21st century learning. Online dictionaries help students acquire new vocabulary when they read online. The new generation online “reader” translates the word by hovering your mouse over the word and makes learning easier and faster. It is based on the theory of Augmented Learning – if you provide someone with immediate information, they are more likely to learn and be engaged in the information.
Recommendation:
Download a trail version of Velázquez Reader .
If you would like free samples of any of the dictionaries mentioned above, please contact Jonathan Ruiz at jruiz@academiclearningcompany.com or call 626-448-3448.