Summing up

Modern trends in English lexicography are connected with the appearance and rapid development of such branches of linguistics as corpus (or corpus-based) linguistics and computational linguistics. Corpus (or corpus-based) linguistics deals with compiling various electronic corpora for conducting investigations in different linguistic fields. Computational linguistics is the branch of linguistics in which the techniques of computer science are applied to the analysis and synthesis of language and speech. Computational lexicography deals with the design, compilation, use and evaluation of electronic dictionaries. Electronic dictionaries fundamentally differ in form, content, and function from conventional word-books. Among the most significant differences are: 1) the use of multimedia means; 2) the navigable help indices in windows oriented software; 3) the use of sound, animation, audio and visual (pictures, videos) elements as well as interactive exercises and games; 4) the varied possibilities of search and access methods that allow the user to specify the output in a number of ways; 5) the access to and retrieval of information are no longer determined by the internal, traditionally alphabetical, organization of the dictionary, but a non-linear structure of the text; 6) the use of hyperlinks which allow easily and quickly to cross-refer to words within an entry or to other words connected with this entry. There are distinguished two main types of electronic dictionaries: online dictionaries and CD-ROM dictionaries.

Key terms: corpus (corpus-based) linguistics, computational linguistics, corpus-based lexicography, new corpus-based generation of dictionaries, electronic dictionaries, online dictionaries, CD-ROM dictionaries.

Questions

1. What are modern trends in lexicography connected with?

2. Define a corpus (or corpus-based) linguistics?

3. What is computational linguistics?

4. What is the importance of corpora aligned to? Why?

5. What has the recent development of corpus linguistics given birth to?

6. What do you know about the British National Corpus?

7. Enumerate the other corpora lexicography deals with.

8. What opportunities does a compiler get due to corpora?

9. What does computational lexicography deal with?

10. What are the most significant differences between electronic and conventional dictionaries?

11. What is the difference between the minimal skills acquired for the use of conventional and electronic dictionaries?

12. What types of electronic dictionaries can be singled out?

13. What are the distinctive features of the Oxford English Dictionary Online?

14. In what way does the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English on CD-ROM differ from the printed-paper dictionary?

15. What are the distinctive features of the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English on CD-ROM?

Tasks

1. Study the interface screenshots of the Merriam- Webster Online Dictionary and the Merriam- Webster Online Thesaurus. Speak on the main peculiarities of these electronic dictionaries of the Internet paying special attention to:

1) their structure and content;

2) access and search systems;

3) information given for each entry;

4) their reference systems.

2. Do the following tasks: a) Study the interface screenshots of the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary on CD-ROM (CALD) and the Macmillan English Dictionary on CD-ROM (MED). b) Fill in the table describing the distinctive features of these electronic dictionaries in accordance with the singled out parameters.

Model: the parameter Display modes

The Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary on CD-ROM (CALD) has two display modes: Full Display mode and QUICKfind mode. The Macmillan English Dictionary on CD-ROM (MED) has also two display modes: Full Display mode and QuickSearch mode. The QUICKfind mode and the QuickSearch mode use a smaller window and provide quick access to the dictionaries and selected features. These modes are very useful while browsing the Internet or writing/reading texts on the screen.

Parameters	CALD	MED
1. Functions of the dictionary opening in the menu bar or in the main window
2. Display modes	Full Display mode and QUICKfind mode	Full Display mode and QuickSearch mode
3. Search capabilities
4. The procedure of looking up a word and the presentation of entries
5. The information afforded for each entry
6. Buttons and links within entries giving additional information about them