摘要:Many people imagine dictionaries to be bulky tomes that are hard to lift andare only useful for quick translations or to check the meaning or spelling ofdifficult words. This paper aims to dispel that myth and show how onlineversions of monolingual English learners’ dictionaries (MELDs) can be usedpedagogically to engage students in academic writing and speakingconventions at Australian universities, thus expanding the borders ofacademe. It is not necessary to be an expert in lexicography in order to pointstudents in the direction of these resources, which are freely available online.All that lecturers need is a basic knowledge of the uses of a MELD, and awillingness to share these insights with their students. Once students haveacquired skills in dictionary use, they are equipped with a tool to engagethem throughout their degrees and beyond into the workplace. This paperwill present important features from five online MELDs and outline theirinformation on spelling, pronunciation, grammar, meanings, synonyms, styleand idioms in order to improve EAL speakers’ academic writing and widenthe borders of the academy.
关键词:online; dictionary; English; lecturer; student; academy