Using bilingual dictionaries
http://theapple.monster.com/training/articles/2123-using-bilingual-dictionaries
This lesson focuses on learning to use a bilingual dictionary while acquiring first and second language vocabulary about language and grammar.
A lesson plan for grades 6–8 Second Languages
By Carolyn Zuttel
Learn more
· Google Language Tools Offers translations of words to and from English and can demonstrate that literal translations are not viable because electronic translators cannot take into account the differences in language syntax
· The Dictionary Game This site has been written by a teacher and includes directions and guidelines for playing the Dictionary Game
Related pages
· Shared reading and writing with La Casa Adormecida: This lesson focuses on adjective placement and agreement in Spanish as found in the story La casa adormecida by Audrey Wood using shared reading and writing strategies.
· "Un viaje inolvidable" (Gouin series booklet): Students will create a 12-page booklet about a real or imaginary plane trip (within or beyond the United States). The twelve pages include a title page, 10 pages (each with one sentence using a verb or various verbs in the preterit tense) and an ending page. Students share the processes involved in preparing to travel by plane, as well as activities enjoyed during the trip itself and at the destination.
· Verb tense time warps: When students have inconsistent verb tense, they have a "time warp" in their stories. In this lesson, students learn that verbs tell not only what action takes place, but also when the action takes place. They will learn to identify past, present and future verb tenses and to check sentences and paragraphs for inconsistent verb tense.
Learning outcomes
Students will be able to research and translate words from all parts of speech utilizing a bilingual dictionary. They will become more comfortable in using bilingual dictionaries and continue to increase their vocabulary on their own.
Teacher planning
Time required for lesson
5 days
Materials/resources
· bilingual dictionaries
· photocopies of “list of abbreviations” from dictionary being used with entries checked according to appropriate grade level
· Quiz: Using bilingual dictionaries (one copy per student)
Technology resources
access to the internet
Pre-activities
(L1 — first language, L2 — second language)
1. Have an easy sentence to translate in L1 on the board that includes the word “time,” assuming that you have not yet taught that word in a L2 vocabulary.
2. Pass out dictionaries and explain the two parts of the dictionary, where to find the list of abbreviations (other helpful sections such as lists of verb tenses can also be observed) and then challenge children look up the word “time” in L2 and choose a word from the various definitions that could be used in the sentence. The students will find a multitude of choices. Explain that they will now learn how to choose.
3. Tell them that they will be able to play The Dictionary Game at the end of the lessons on Fun-filled Friday or whatever you want to call the reward day or time and offer whatever reward for winning the game that is appropriate.
Activities
Words in bold will be on the assessment and students should make note of them.
1. Call for a volunteers to review the parts of speech. Explain that it is essential to know which part of speech you are attempting to translate. They are to write their own list of abbreviations as you explain them because they will be tested.
2. Starting with nouns, explain that many languages give a grammatical gender to their nouns, unlike English, and that the abbreviations /f/ and /m/ identify feminine and masculine, which will help in choosing all of the modifiers that will also be either /m/ or /f/.
3. Explain that nouns can be either singular or plural, and introduce the abbreviations for number agreement explaining that it means that modifiers of the noun will also be either singular or plural in certain languages that have number agreement. This is the time to pull together that the language has (or has not, if you are teaching ESL) both gender and number agreement for noun modifiers (Help students identify with modifiers by comparing this to modifying a race car or a dress with color dye.)
4. Write the words “walk” and “roast” on the board and ask what part of speech they are. The students will probably answer “verbs.” Offer the words as nouns in sentences such as: The walk through the woods was beautiful. The roast in the oven smells wonderful. Repeat the question: “Now what part of speech are these words?” This will demonstrate the need for examining which part of speech is needed in the sentence.
5. Tell them that they have only learned to look up nouns. Now they need to add verbs. There are two types of verbs: transitive and intransitive. In order to teach transitive, ask for words that begin with “trans-.” Expect responses such as transportation, transmit, and transfer. Write two sentences on the board: “I walk.” and “I walk the dog.” Explain the difference with an arrow going from walk to dog that transmits the action, thus being a transitive verb. A second example is: “With the heat in her class, I roast.” and “We roast the pig.” They are to choose which is transitive and which is intransitive. List the abbreviations for transitive and intransitive verbs.
6. Have the students look at the list of abbreviations and add to their list of abbreviations the symbol for introducing a new part of speech. Dictionaries differ, so it will be according to the dictionary.
7. Next are pronouns. There are two types: formal and informal. Here you conjugate a verb on the board showing the pronouns in both languages, pointing out formal and informal. Explain that these informal pronouns are still are being spoken in several languages and cite examples in the L2, if it applies to the language you are teaching. Include in the list of abbreviations those for for formal and informal.
8. From the conjugated verb, explain that those pronouns name the person doing the action or state of being of the verb and are thus called nominative case. Define nominative as naming. Then ask if objects of verbs (learned above) use nominative pronouns asking them to substitute nominative pronouns as objects of transitive verbs, which does not work. Those pronouns are objective case, whether they are direct objects or objects of prepositions.
9. Teach the abbreviation for article and explain that they are (the, a, an, some) in English but in other languages change according to gender and number as previously explained. Put a matrix on the board showing gender and number on the x and y axes.
10. Teach the abbreviations for the remaining parts of speech and where to find other abbreviations that you can choose to teach and add to the students’ list as appropriate to the grade level.
11. Look up the first entry in L2 that has multiple definitions and copy it symbol for symbol onto the board. Explain that if the word being defined were spelled out for every time the ending changed, the book would be so large that it would cost more and be much heavier. To save space and money, the first part of the word called the stem is not repeated every time the ending is changed. Vertical marks in the entry word designate where the stem ends, and vertical marks in the definition designate where the ending begins.
12. Go back to the original sentence that includes the word “time” and ask the students to now choose the most appropriate definition for the use of the word in that sentence.
13. In a computer lab or in the class on the computer, ask the students to go to Google and click on language tools. They are to enter the word “time” and see what definition is offered. It may or may not be the right choice for the sentence written in class.
14. Ask the students to enter an entire five- or six-word L1 sentence for translating to L2. Show the students that the word order is out of place and that language tools for translating lack syntax, the ability to place words in a sentence in the order in which they are spoken, which varies from language to language. More examples include going from three words to two or vice versa: “Soy Carlos.” for “I am Carlos.”
15. Play The Dictionary Game in the L2: Objective(s): This can be used to introduce new vocabulary words from content areas. In order for the game to work, all students playing the game must be completely ignorant as to the definition of the word being used. Students will also practice writing in a style different from any others they have tried (dictionary style). The Dictionary Game (also made commercially as Balderdash) can be downloaded from the Teacher’s Desk website. The author is Mark Quinn.
Assessment
This lesson may be assessed using the “Using Bilingual Dictionaries” quiz.
Provide the dictionary abbreviations for the following:
1. noun
2. feminine
3. masculine
4. singular
5. plural
6. pronoun
7. transitive verb
8. intransitive verb
9. symbol for new part of speech
10. adjective
11. adverb
12. preposition
13. article
True or false:
1. A transitive verb transmits the action to an object.
2. An intransitive verb does not transmit action to an object.
3. The part of speech called an article (the, a, an, some) in Spanish/French comes before a noun and agrees with it in gender and number.
4. Formal and informal in the dictionary refers to pronouns and refers to how people address each other.
5. Subject pronouns are the same as object pronouns.
6. Syntax is the rules for the formation of a sentence and are different in each language.
7. To conjugate a verb is to list a verb with pronouns: Singular — I go, you go, he/she/it goes; plural — we go, you go, they go.
Supplemental information
Comments
Inspiration for this lesson plan came from observing students while they were trying to translate a sentence using a bilingual dictionary.
If high school students are not confident with a bilingual dictionary, this could be used with them, as well.
This lesson completes the LinguaFolio reading comprehension objective: “Based on the type of text I am reading, I know how to use the dictionary and appropriate grammar resources to read for meaning.”
North Carolina curriculum alignment
Second Languages (2005)
Grade 6–8 — Exploratory
· Goal 2: INTERPRETIVE COMMUNICATION - The learner will understand and interpret written and spoken language on selected topics in the target language.
- Objective 2.01: Follow selected oral and written directions and commands.
- Objective 2.02: Demonstrate understanding of learned /familiar words, phrases, and sentences from simple oral or written passages (e.g., announcements, advertisements, ads) about basic personal needs.
· Goal 4: CULTURES - The learner will gain knowledge and demonstrate understanding of the relationship among practices, products, and perspectives of cultures other than his/her own.
- Objective 4.06: Explore in English aspects of contemporary life in the target cultures through print and non-print media, cultural artifacts, and/or interaction with people from those cultures.
· Goal 5: COMPARISONS - The learner will develop insight into the nature of language and culture by comparing his/her own language(s) and culture(s) to others.
- Objective 5.02: Recognize similarities and differences in the ways languages are written (e.g., alphabet/characters, symbols) in the target language and his/her own language(s).
- Objective 5.03: Develop an awareness that there are words, phrases, and idioms that do not translate directly from one language to another.
- Objective 5.04: Identify connections among languages by recognizing cognates and loan words.
· Goal 6: CONNECTIONS - The learner will acquire, reinforce, and further his/her knowledge of other disciplines through the foreign language.
- Objective 6.01: Demonstrate understanding and apply information and skills that are common to the foreign language class and other disciplines.
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