In this course we will examine various aspects of lexicographic theory and methodol-ogy, from monolingual, bilingual, and electronic viewpoints. Students will encounter various types of lexicographic works of reference, their characteristics and functions. After a brief introduction to the core elements of lexicography, we will focus on some state-of-the-art reference works. By taking an in-depth look at their macro- and microstructures and the underlying lexicographic concepts of organising dictionaries and articles, students will learn how to detect and evaluate the dictionaries’ relative strengths and weaknesses. Emphasis will also be placed on a comparison of the compilers’ and the users’ perspectives, especially with regard to the use of paper, CD-ROM and online dictionaries. Students will discover how to work effectively with dictionaries and how to make use of their assets. An important aspect of the course will be hands-on experience in the use of paper and electronic dictionaries encourag-ing a critical approach to reference works and their usability for learning and teaching English.
Prerequisite: Introduction to English linguistics.
To obtain a Schein, students are required to actively participate in class discussions, to give a short oral presentation, and to write a term paper of about 10 to 12 pages. The number of participants is restricted to 20 (first come – first served).
| date | topic | student presentations |
| 09/10/06 | Introduction: lexicography; types of word lists; compiling dictionaries | --- |
| 16/10/06 | Dictionaries: historical development; national variants | --- |
| 23/10/06 | Macro structures, access structures & usability | --- |
| 30/10/06 | Bilinguals: users' needs & skills; macro structures | Anika Ortlepp |
| 06/11/06 | Bilinguals: micro structure | Jessica Schwabe |
| 13/11/06 | Monolinguals: general purpose vs. learners’ dictionaries | Peggy Huppert |
| 20/11/06 | Microstructure: lemma vs. headword | --- |
| 27/11/06 | Pronunciation, part of speech & morphological information | Anja Hermann |
| 04/12/06 | Meaning: explanations, definitions & illustrations | Anja Krumbiegel; Josef Kosch |
| 11/12/06 | Grammar, usage & relations to other words | Kathrin Jänecke; Christian Lindner |
| 18/12/06 | Verbal illustrations, graphics, multimedia | René Thiemann Stephan Knebel |
| 08/01/07 | Dictionary evaluation & criticism | Juliane Fürth Sebastian Oehme |
| 15/01/07 | Thesauri & specialist dictionaries | Juliane Hohmann |
| 22/01/07 | Productive use of dictionaries | Marianne Lücke |
| 29/01/07 | Dictionaries & language learning | --- |