Reflections on Dictionaries Designed to Assist Users with Text Production in a Foreign Language*

  • Sven Tarp Department of African Languages and Cultures, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Xhosa Department, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, Republic of South Africa; and TshwaneDJe HLT, Pretoria, Republic of South Africa
Keywords: LEXICOGRAPHY, LEARNER'S LEXICOGRAPHY, LEARNER'S DICTIONARIES, LEXICOGRAPHIC FUNCTIONS, COMMUNICATION-ORIENTATED FUNCTIONS, FOREIGNLANGUAGE TEXT RECEPTION, FOREIGN-LANGUAGE TEXT PRODUCTION, USER CHARACTERISTICS, USER NEEDS, USER SITUATIONS, LEXICOGRAPHIC DATA

Abstract

Abstract: After a discussion of a selected part of the existing theoretical literature, the conceptof foreign-language text production is analysed within the framework of the broader concept of theforeign-language learning process. Two main types of foreign-language text production are discussed,i.e. text production with and without an outline in the learner's mother tongue, followed byan analysis of the kind of assistance dictionaries can provide to the user. The main conclusiondrawn from this discussion is that a dictionary designed to assist a user with both types of textproduction should include both an L1–L2 word list and an L2 (or L2–L1) word list. On this basis, aproposal for the lexicographic data that should be included in the respective word lists is presented,and this data is then compared with the data needed to assist the user in foreign-languagetext reception. The conclusion is that it is quite possible to conceive bifunctional dictionaries thatcan provide assistance for both foreign-language text production and foreign-language text reception.Keywords: LEXICOGRAPHY, LEARNER'S LEXICOGRAPHY, LEARNER'S DICTIONARIES,LEXICOGRAPHIC FUNCTIONS, COMMUNICATION-ORIENTATED FUNCTIONS, FOREIGNLANGUAGETEXT RECEPTION, FOREIGN-LANGUAGE TEXT PRODUCTION, USER CHARACTERISTICS,USER NEEDS, USER SITUATIONS, LEXICOGRAPHIC DATAOpsomming: Gedagtes oor woordeboeke ontwerp om gebruikers te helpmet teksprodukise in 'n vreemde taal. Na 'n bespreking van 'n uitgesoekte deel van diebestaande teoretiese literatuur, word die konsep van vreemdetaalteksproduksie ontleed binne dieraamwerk van die breër konsep van die aanleerposes van 'n vreemde taal. Twee hooftipes vreemdetaalteksproduksieword bespreek, nl. teksproduksie met en sonder 'n oorsig van die aanleerderse moedertaal, gevolg deur 'n ontleding van die soort hulp wat woordeboeke aan die gebruiker kanverleen. Die hoofgevolgtrekking gemaak uit hierdie bespreking is dat 'n woordeboek wat ontwerpis om 'n gebruiker met altwee tipes teksproduksie te help, sowel 'n L1–L2-woordelys as 'n L2- (ofL2–L1) woordelys behoort in te sluit. Op hierdie basis word 'n voorstel van die leksikografiese datawat in die onderskeie woordelyste ingesluit behoort te word, aangebied, en hierdie data word danvergelyk met die data benodig om die gebruiker by vreemdetaalresepsie te help. Die gevolgtrekkingis dat dit heeltemal moontlik is om bifunksionele woordeboeke te bedink wat hulp kan verleenmet sowel vreemdetaalteksproduksie as vreemdetaalteksresepsie.Sleutelwoorde: LEKSIKOGRAFIE, AANLEERDERSLEKSIKOGRAFIE, AANLEERDERSWOORDEBOEKE,LEKSIKOGRAFIESE FUNKSIES, KOMMUNIKASIEGEORIËNTEERDE FUNKSIES,VREEMDETAALTEKSRESEPSIE, VREEMDETAALTEKSPRODUKSIE, GEBRUIKERSEIENSKAPPE,GEBRUIKERSBEHOEFTES, GEBRUIKERSITUASIES, LEKSIKOGRAFIESE DATA
How to Cite
Tarp, S. (1). Reflections on Dictionaries Designed to Assist Users with Text Production in a Foreign Language*. Lexikos, 14. https://doi.org/10.5788/14-0-695
Section
On Learners' Dictionaries