ESOL Rw/L2.2a Use reference material to find the meanings of unfamiliar words
Use reference material to find the meanings of unfamiliar words (i) Be aware of key sources of reference, and decide which reference tools are best for a particular task, e.g. encyclopaedias (book and CD), atlases, dictionaries, grammar books, and household reference books such as recipe books, gardening books, DIY books and car manuals, in both book and electronic format (ii) Understand that there are different sources of information for word meanings, and different types of dictionary, e.g. contemporary usage, bilingual, subject dictionaries, slang, synonyms/antonyms, idioms, and choose which to use for a particular purpose (iii) When looking up an unfamiliar word, decide from the range of meanings listed which one best suits the context (iv) Understand how dictionaries and other sources of information are structured, and the conventions they use, e.g. paper and electronic dictionaries, glossaries, keys (v) Making efficient use of text structures and their conventions to find out about meaning (vi) Be aware of the use of the phonemic alphabet in dictionaries to indicate pronunciation, and make use of this feature
