lesson link TEACHER’S NOTES

Learner’s Dictionary Apps

Introduction
There’s no doubt about it – technology is changing our lives in many ways,
bringing us new opportunities. One innovative and enjoyable piece of technology is the app.
A huge variety of apps exist for entertainment and a multitude of practical tasks; they can be
downloaded onto a wide range of portable devices for use ‘on the go’.
Oxford University Press has embraced app technology and realized how important it is to be able
to access learner’s dictionaries on devices such as tablets and smartphones. Many people find
a dictionary app more convenient than a printed dictionary. But dictionary apps offer far more
than just convenience. Here are some of the advantages and innovations that they provide for
teachers and learners:
• The dictionary app contains everything in the printed dictionary and a lot more, such as
information on word origins, links to synonyms and extra examples (also available on the
CD-ROM). You can tap on words you don’t know in example sentences or definitions to bring
up their definition.
• It is very quick to find the word you want to look up because you just start typing it in the search
box. Once you have started typing your word, the app will list words which start in that way and
you simply have to click on the one you want. The app will even ask you ‘Did you mean …?’ and
give you some options if you spell a word incorrectly. Not only this, but you’ll also be able to see
instantly whether the word exists as different parts of speech, e.g. noun and verb.
• You can just swipe right/left or tap to navigate backwards and forwards alphabetically from
one entry to another and all this navigating is saved. This means your searches for different
words are stored in a search history which you can refer to easily.
• You can personalize the content of the app by using folders. This means that you can group
words together in ways which are memorable to you and store them to make your own unique
sets of vocabulary.
• You can listen to the British and/or American pronunciation of each word, not just read the
phonemic script. This audio function can help so much with building accurate pronunciation.
In many cases, not only single words are recorded but also entire example sentences.
• There are links to special explanation pages relating to grammar and pronunciation. (Use
Information>About OALD to display a list of these pages.)
• You can change the text size – for those who find it easier to read larger font, or if you’ve
forgotten your glasses!
So, there are a lot of good reasons to use a learner’s dictionary app! But as with any piece of
technology, it is important to familiarize yourself with how it works. This is the main focus of
the activities below, all of which are based upon the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app.
They can be used easily in class if the app is downloaded onto multiple devices but if this is not
possible, then just one device can be used and should be connected to a projector. Each activity
is stand-alone so choose the ones which are most useful to you and your class and do as many
of them as you wish. We hope both teachers and learners will find them fun and interesting and
that learners will be able to expand their vocabulary knowledge through using them.

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 lesson link TEACHER’S NOTES
These activities are for Upper-Intermediate and Advanced levels.
You will need the OALD app downloaded onto one or more devices (and a means of projecting it
onto a board if using one device only).

Time Each activity takes around 10-15 minutes.

Topics Various – see each activity.
Aims To familiarize teachers and students with the OALD app, to expand and develop
students’ vocabulary knowledge.

TASK 1  Heteronyms (Upper Intermediate/Advanced)

A Which of these pairs are heteronyms?
Tell students to focus on the pairs of words in A. Ask them to decide whether they have different
meanings. Also, are they pronounced differently?
Use My View to hide the IPA. (Use Settings>My View>Hide pronunciation.)
On multiple devices, tell students to look up these pairs of words and read the definitions. They
should also tap on the speaker and listen to the pronunciation. If necessary, go through the
answers together. Show IPA.
On one device, invite students up to look up pairs of words and tap on the pronunciation.
Drill any problem words with the class. Show IPA.
Answers
• 4 and 6 are not heteronyms.
• 1, 2, 3, 5 are heteronyms, e.g. live verb /lɪv/ = to have your home in a particular place;
live adj. /laɪv/ = living; not dead

B Different meanings, pronunciations, and parts of speech

Ask students to think of two different pronunciations and meanings of the heteronyms a)-f).
Remind them to identify the part of speech too – noun, verb or adjective.
Tell them to look up the words using the app, read the definitions and listen to the
pronunciation to check their answers. Go through the answers together. Drill words if necessary.
Answers
a minute 1) noun: 60 seconds OR verb: to write down sth said at a meeting;
2) adj.: extremely small
b row 1) noun: a serious disagreement OR verb: to have a noisy argument;
2) noun: a line of people or things OR verb: to move a boat through water
c bass 1) noun: the lowest tone or part in music OR adj. low in tone;
2) noun: a freshwater fish
d wind 1) noun: air that moves quickly OR verb: to make sb unable to breathe
2) verb: to have many bends and twists

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e console 1) noun: a flat surface which contains the controls for a machine;
2) verb: to give comfort or sympathy to sb
f tear 1) noun: a drop of liquid that comes out of your eye;
2) verb: to damage something by pulling it apart or into pieces OR
noun: a hole made by tearing

TASK 2  Letter combinations (Upper Intermediate/Advanced)

Ask students to work in pairs and think of as many different ways to pronounce the letter
combinations as they can. They should write an example word for each pronunciation.
To check their ideas, students need to perform a wildcard search on the app. To do this, they
type the letter combination they wish to find in the search box with an asterisk before and after
it, e.g. *alf*. This will find all words which include this combination of letters.
Show students how to perform the wildcard search either on multiple devices or on one.
Elicit the words and pronunciations they had thought of and any additional ones from the app.
Make sure all have the correct answers by checking the pronunciation for words on the app. Drill
pronunciation where necessary.
Answers
-alf- /ælf/ as in alfalfa, /ɑːf/ calf
-alm- /ælm/ almanac, /ɑːm/ almond, /ɔːlm/ almost, /æm/ salmon, /əlm/ signalman
-ch- /k/ ache, /tʃ/ achieve, /ʃ/ avalanche
-ough- /əʊ/ although, /ə/ borough, /aʊ/ bough, /ɔː/ bought, /uː/ breakthrough,
/ɒf/ cough, /ʌf/ enough
Note that these examples are of British English pronunciation.

TASK 3  Meanings and synonyms (Upper Intermediate/Advanced)

Look up the word simple but do not display it at this stage.
Play the audio of the following example sentences as a dictation for the students. Note that they
are in a different order than in the entry.
It’s nothing to worry about – just a simple headache.
The accommodation is simple but spacious.
I’m a simple country girl.
This machine is very simple to use.
Play each sentence as many times as they need so that they can write it down accurately. Ask
students to identify which word is in all the sentences (simple) and discuss in pairs what it means
in each sentence.
Go to Settings and hide the example sentences on the app.
Display the entry and ask the students to decide in pairs which example sentence matches each
meaning.
Ask the students in their pairs to think of an antonym for simple and also some synonyms.

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Elicit their ideas. Tap the menu link and then use the thesaurus feature to show more synonyms.

TASK 4  Shortened idioms and sayings (Advanced)

Tell students to read the instructions and discuss in pairs whether they know any of the endings
of these sayings or what they might mean.
Demonstrate to students how to find idioms using the app:
Switch to Full dictionary search by tapping on the icon next to the search box.
Enter count or chicken (not don’t or your).
Scroll down to Phrases and tap to display the entry with full definition.
Check the answers together in this way.
You can also access idioms by using the simple search to view the entry for any of the main
elements in them, e.g. count or chicken – the idiom is displayed at both entries.
Answers
1 don’t count your chickens before they are hatched
2 a stitch in time saves nine
3 it’s six of one and half a dozen of the other
4 when in Rome, do as the Romans do
5 the grass is always greener on the other side (of the fence)
6 a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

TASK 5  Idioms and their origins (Advanced)

Tell the students they are going to play a game where the aim is to trick their classmates. They
have to give three explanations of the origin of an idiom and their classmates must decide which
one is true.
Divide the class in half and then each half into pairs.
Give half of the pairs Team A worksheets and half of them Team B worksheets
Ask them to check their idioms using the app and copy the example sentence down for each
idiom. (Students with the same letter can work in larger groups than pairs if they wish or to suit
the number of devices you have.)
They have been provided with the correct explanation and one untrue explanation. Now they
have to think of a third, untrue explanation.
When they all have completed the example sentences and third explanations for their idioms,
conduct the game by putting two pairs together (one Team A and one Team B). They read out
their idiom, example sentences and explanations. The other team guesses which is correct.
Display the idioms on the app.
Answers
Team A: jump on the bandwagon c; on tenterhooks b
Team B: with flying colours a; bite the bullet b

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TASK 6  (Upper Intermediate/Advanced)
A Categorization
Demonstrate to students how you create folders on the app: go to the Favourites tab, tap the edit
icon in the toolbar and tap ‘Add folder’.
Make two new folders labelled ‘positive adjectives’ and ‘negative adjectives’.
Ask students to read the list of extreme adjectives and discuss what they mean and whether they
are positive or negative.
If using multiple devices, ask them to look up the adjectives on the app and add them to
the correct folder by tapping the star icon in the toolbar, then ‘Add to Favourites’ and the
appropriate folder.
If using one device, invite students to come and look up an adjective and add it to the correct
folder as above.
Conduct class discussion about which words they already knew and which they didn’t.
Remind them to tap on the audio to check their pronunciation is accurate, repeating if necessary.
Answers
positive adjectives:  hilarious, spotless, invaluable, fascinating;
negative adjectives:  exorbitant, excruciating, devastating, ludicrous

B Odd one out

Before the lesson, create folders on the app which contain the following sets of four words. (If
students didn’t do Task Six A, it’s a good idea to demonstrate how to create a folder.)
Folder 1: daring adj., fearless, unadventurous, unafraid
Folder 2: pavement, lift noun, sidewalk, mobile phone
Folder 3: defer, postpone, delay verb, cancel
Folder 4: table noun, furniture, information, money
Divide the class into pairs.
Display a folder on the board. Ask students to discuss in pairs which word does not belong to the set.
Invite students to come up to the board and delete the odd one out from the folder on the app,
explaining why.
Continue with the next folder.
If any students are unsure of the answer, tap words to check the definitions in order to help
them decide.
Optional extension: You could ask students in pairs to create their own folder of four words which
includes an odd one out and show them to each other. Check their choice of words carefully!
Answers (though students may think of other answers and give good explanations too)
• Folder 1: unadventurous is the opposite of the other three.
• Folder 2: sidewalk is North American English and the others are British English.
• Folder 3: cancel means that the event will not happen; the others mean that it will not
happen at the arranged time but later.
• Folder 4: table is a countable noun and the others are uncountable.

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C Preparing for reading
Create a folder on the app containing the following words which the learners will need to check
before they read the text.
addiction phenomenon
exponential blur verb
portable decision-making
spark verb adverse (for adversely)
addicted bombard (for bombardment)
swamp verb enhance
gadget
Open the folder and explain to the students that you are going to give them a short text to read
which contains these words and they have a few minutes to use the app to check any meanings
they don’t know.
If using just one device, invite students up to look up words on the app.
Hand out the texts and ask students to read quickly and discover how closely they predicted the
content of the text.
Tell students to read the text again to answer the questions in their own words.
Go through the answers together.
Conduct class discussion about the folder they used before reading. Which words were useful to
have checked before reading? Were there any words which they didn’t need to check?
Answers
1 No, growth has been ‘seemingly exponential’, i.e. faster and faster.
2 The line between work and private life is more blurred due to the 24-hour link between
employers and staff.
3 No!
4 The ability to make decisions.
5 Being bombarded by (i.e. constantly receiving) various communications.

TASK 7  Which words did we check? (Upper Intermediate/Advanced)

You can use this task instead of TASK 6C to show students how to use the Search History on the
app. You will need copies of the TASK 6C text and questions.
Give the students the title of the text and ask them to predict what it will contain.
Hand out the reading texts to the students to check their predictions and then answer the
questions.
Tell them that they can come and check words on the app at any stage during the reading task.
Go through the answers.
After this checking stage, look together at the search history on the app. Tap on the History icon
to the left of the search box to see which words were looked up and ask which students checked
them and to give a quick definition of them. Look them up again on the app if necessary.

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WORKSHEET

TASK 1  Heteronyms
A Which of these pairs are heteronyms?
Heteronyms are words which look alike but have different meanings and are
pronounced differently too. Which of these pairs are heteronyms?
1 live (v.) and live (adj.)
2 refuse (v.) and refuse (n.)
3 close (v.) and close (adj.)
4 base (v.) and base (n.)
5 pasty (n.) and pasty (adj.)
6 low (adj.) and low (n.)

B Different meanings, pronunciations, and parts of speech

The six words below are heteronyms. Can you think of two different meanings
for each word? What parts of speech are they? How are the two pronounced?
a minute
b row
c bass
d wind
e console
f tear
Look up the words in the dictionary. Check the meanings and listen to the
pronunciation to see how they sound different from each other.

TASK 2  Letter combinations

How many different possible pronunciations can you think of for the following
combinations of letters?
–alf-
–alm-
–ch-
–ough-

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WORKSHEET

TASK 3  Meanings and synonyms

Listen to the sentences and write them down in the spaces below.

1 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4 _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Which word is in all of the sentences? What is the meaning in each sentence?
Match each example sentence to the correct meaning in the dictionary entry.
Can you think of an antonym for this word? How many synonyms can you think of?

TASK 4  Shortened idioms and sayings

We use many interesting idioms and sayings in English, particularly when speaking.
However, there are some common phrases which we often shorten because the
listener knows the other part and therefore it isn’t necessary to say it.
Do you know how to finish these sayings? When do we use them?

1 don’t count your chickens ___________________________________________________________________________

2 a stitch in time ___________________________________________________________________________

3 it’s six of one ___________________________________________________________________________

4 when in Rome ___________________________________________________________________________

5 the grass is always greener ___________________________________________________________________________

6 a bird in the hand ___________________________________________________________________________

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 lesson link WORKSHEET
WORKSHEET

TASK 5  Idioms and their origins (Advanced)

TEAM A
jump on the bandwagon
Example sentence: _______________________________________________________________________________________
The expression ‘jump on the bandwagon’ refers to the fact that…
a at election time in the 1800s in Britain, political parties would send wagons to
collect any voters who were too old, drunk, sick, etc. to go and vote by themselves.
b _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
c in the US, political parades often included a band on a wagon. Political leaders
would join them in the hope of winning popular support.
on tenterhooks
Example sentence: _______________________________________________________________________________________
In the expression ‘on tenterhooks’, the tenterhook was…
a a piece of equipment used by butchers in the past to hang animal carcasses from
for several days before they cut up the meat.
b a hook which in the past was used to keep material stretched on a drying frame
during manufacture.
c _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

CUT

TEAM B
with flying colours
Example sentence: _______________________________________________________________________________________
The expression ‘with flying colours’ refers to the custom in the past of…
a ships returning to port after a victory in battle decorated with flags (= colours).
b _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
c giving coloured ribbons to athletes who won races.
bite the bullet
Example sentence: _______________________________________________________________________________________
The expression ‘bite the bullet’ comes from…
a _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
b the custom of giving soldiers a bullet to bite on during a medical operation
without anaesthetic.
c a famous showman in the Wild West who used to catch bullets in his teeth as the
finale of his show.

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WORKSHEET

TASK 6
A Categorization
Sort these extreme adjectives into two categories: positive and negative.
exorbitant spotless
hilarious invaluable
devastating ludicrous
excruciating fascinating

B Odd one out

Look at the following sets of four words and discuss with a partner which you think
does not belong to the set. Be prepared to explain your reasons.
1 daring, fearless, unadventurous, unafraid
2 pavement, lift, sidewalk, mobile phone
3 defer, postpone, delay, cancel
4 table, furniture, information, money

C Preparing for reading

Read the text. Were you right about the topic?
Read again and answer the questions in your own words.

The rise of technology addiction

The seemingly exponential growth of portable technology has
sparked fears that people are becoming addicted or swamped by
gadgets and their uses. One major consequence of this phenomenon
is that the line between work and private life is much more blurred
now that e-mail and phones provide a 24-hour link between
employers and staff. Experts believe that even the decision-making
process of the average person can be adversely affected. However,
others think that the bombardment of various communications can
enhance the brain’s ability to process information.
(With kind permission from the BBC)

1 Has the growth of portable technology been steadily increasing?

2 What effect has the growth of portable technology had on people’s work and
private life?
3 Do experts agree on the consequences of the rise of technology on people’s brains?
4 What ability may be damaged?
5 What may increase the brain’s skill in processing information?

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