Use and Usability of Dictionaries : Common Sense and Context Sensibility ?

This article discusses the potential and usability of future dictionaries from two specific angles: from the point of view of language professionals and from the perspective of dictionaries as tools in an integrated network. The discussion is based on ideas first expressed by Sue Atkins in 1996. It is argued that in the future it should be possible to customize dictionaries according to user profiles and that dictionaries should not be regarded as stand-alone products. In fact, the potential of user-controlled search chains could be a major innovation in an integrated electronic dictionary. It is also claimed that the label "learner's dictionary" is misleading, because many users are not learners in the prototypical sense of the word, but rather non-native speakers using a monolingual dictionary for reasons which differ considerably from those of young language learners. Finally, a suggestion is made how frame semantics could be applied in building bridges between general and specialist language use and in helping users to find the information they need. 1 . I n t r o d u c t i o n Dict ionar ies p rovoke a cont inuum of react ions in their users, and for this reason, they are rarely treated as neutral sources of reference. On the contrary, an emot ional love-hate re la t ionship would often be a more appropr ia te descript ion of the professional user's at t i tude towards his or her favouri te d ic t ionar i e s . What , then, makes a dict ionary user-fr iendly? There may be no s imple answer to this quest ion, as reasons seem to be manifold. Before even a t tempt ing to formulate an answer , we have to decide on the type of dict ionary and the type of user we have mind. In addit ion, we have to de te rmine whether we are only d iscuss ing the way in which dict ionaries are used, or are we also a t tempting to d iscover how the user benefi ts from the information avai lable in the dict ionary. Dict ionary users can roughly be divided into language learners , non-profess ional users and professional users (cf. Varantola 1997). Dic t ionar ies can thus be used in various ways in language teaching and language learning but also consulted as tools in "nonUse and Usability of Dictionaries: Common Sense and Context Sensibility? 31 learning" act ivi t ies , for example in reading comprehens ion , text production and in professional t ranslat ion. Below, I will discuss the potential of future dict ionar ies in the light of ideas first expressed by Sue Atkins in her plenary paper Bilingual dictionaries: Past, Present and Future (Atkins 1996). I will e laborate on some of the themes of the paper from two specific angles : first from the point of view "of language professionals as dictionary users and then from the perspect ive of dic t ionar ies as tools in an integrated network of different types of reference sources. In her paper, Sue Atkins ant icipates that, in the dict ionary of the future, the function of customizing the dictionary will ' come into its own' (1996: 531). Future dict ionary users would then be able to tailor the dict ionary according to their individual user profiles. This predict ion is also one of the leading themes in this article and the user I have in mind is a skilled user who needs dict ionaries in his or her professional act ivi t ies . A prototypical incarnation of this type of user would be a t ranslator or a technical communicator . Atkins also advocates the principles that the user 's needs are paramount , in dic t ionary-making and that the 'the ideal dict ionary should offer the skilled user the chance to make his or her own judgment ' (p. 523). It is e a s y to agree with this idea and I will apply it as a guiding principle when discussing professional dictionary use. (Cf. also Varantola 1994). In our survey of dictionary use (Atkins & Varantola 1997:1), we claim that: 'There are two direct routes to more effective dict ionary use: the first is to radically improve the dictionary: the second is to radically improve the users ' . Later on, I have been inclined to side with the user and place more responsibil i ty on the dictionary makers who, as professionals , should have a holistic view of what their dict ionary offers to its users (Kall iokuusi & Varantola 1998). I will deliberately continue in this vein assessing dict ionaries from the consumer perspective also in this context. In other words , I will b e shamelessly selfish and ask for the impossible . I will advocate for a dictionary that will a lways adapt to my needs and a lways be ready to provide me with exactly the answer that I need and will also agree with. I a lso expect the dict ionary to be able to give satisfactory answers t o . t hose questions that I forget to ask. So I will require that the dictionary a n t i c i p a t e my needs and remind me of al ternative routes that I can take in my search to find an appropriate way to express what I wish to express .