Collins or Longman Dictionary - a Difficult Choice
The choice of a dictionary – Collins or Longman?
Nowadays many learners of English face a problem – which dictionary to choose as their main aid in learning the language. There is a variety of dictionaries from different publishers available at the market now, but we can focus here on two – Collins and Longman which are quite good reference books for everybody. Although they are both equally preferred by English learners, they posses a number of features which leave the buyer with not an easy choice. Collins, for instance, with its layout which makes looking up easier, clear definitions and specific vocabulary is by far better than Longman. The two dictionaries have their differences and perhaps that’s why they aim for the different group of users.
Definition is the first thing the user confronts. That is – the place it occupies on the page of the dictionary. If it is clearly presented, there should be no difficulty with getting the idea of the word. Therefore Collins, unlike Longman, usually includes grammar information in the margin, which makes it easier for the user to find quickly either the desired meaning or the grammar references. In contrast, Longman’s grammar notes are inserted between the definitions. Consequently, it results in making the way to the needed meaning much longer.
If the user managed to find the right definitions, he or she may now encounter problems with understanding them. In this respect Longman prevails. Why is it so? First of all, both dictionaries draw upon some kind of bank of words. Collins definitions are based on a wider range of vocabulary. That’s why they are more complicated and difficult to understand. However, Longman defining vocabulary comprises less words but nevertheless it may be good for less advanced learners. Collins definitions are undoubtedly more specific. Learners of second or foreign language have a better opportunity of matching difficult English words (e.g. proper nouns) to the equivalents in their
Nowadays many learners of English face a problem – which dictionary to choose as their main aid in learning the language. There is a variety of dictionaries from different publishers available at the market now, but we can focus here on two – Collins and Longman which are quite good reference books for everybody. Although they are both equally preferred by English learners, they posses a number of features which leave the buyer with not an easy choice. Collins, for instance, with its layout which makes looking up easier, clear definitions and specific vocabulary is by far better than Longman. The two dictionaries have their differences and perhaps that’s why they aim for the different group of users.
Definition is the first thing the user confronts. That is – the place it occupies on the page of the dictionary. If it is clearly presented, there should be no difficulty with getting the idea of the word. Therefore Collins, unlike Longman, usually includes grammar information in the margin, which makes it easier for the user to find quickly either the desired meaning or the grammar references. In contrast, Longman’s grammar notes are inserted between the definitions. Consequently, it results in making the way to the needed meaning much longer.
If the user managed to find the right definitions, he or she may now encounter problems with understanding them. In this respect Longman prevails. Why is it so? First of all, both dictionaries draw upon some kind of bank of words. Collins definitions are based on a wider range of vocabulary. That’s why they are more complicated and difficult to understand. However, Longman defining vocabulary comprises less words but nevertheless it may be good for less advanced learners. Collins definitions are undoubtedly more specific. Learners of second or foreign language have a better opportunity of matching difficult English words (e.g. proper nouns) to the equivalents in their