Dictionary specially for schoolkids

“GOOGLING it” has become the norm to find out more about any topic we are curious about, but when trying to understand the meaning of a word, it may not be the best option for schoolchildren.

While it may seem like Google has all the answers, when it comes to the meaning of words, Google can often leave children confused.

According to Dr Phillip Louw, publishing manager at Oxford University Press South Africa, the language used on Google is often not suitable for a child’s age group, education phase or literacy level.

“Sometimes even simple objects or concepts such as ‘fridge’ or ‘rake’, are explained in language only adults will understand,” said Louw.

Louw used the example of the top Google definition of “rake” to demonstrate the difference. A “rake”, according to Google, is “an agricultural implement with teeth or tines for gathering cut grass, hay, or the like or for smoothing the surface of the ground”.

“Difficult or unfamiliar words in this definition would most likely not help children understand the meaning of ‘rake’.” In contrast, the definition of “rake” in the Oxford South African School Dictionary is “a garden tool with a long handle and a row of teeth at the bottom, used for collecting leaves or making the ground flat”.

Louw also mentioned the need for the use of bilingual dictionaries, because South Africa’s official African languages have very little or no relation to English.

This makes it difficult for speakers of these languages to figure out the meaning of English words on their own.

Research has shown that bilingual dictionaries have had a positive impact on both learners and teachers of English at South African

schools.