When you are attending your English school for your intensive English classes abroad, whether you are studying in England, Ireland, Malta, USA or Canada, most schools will suggest that you bring an English language dictionary with you. This is a dictionary that translates from your native language into English – and back again.

Dictionaries can be a useful tool to find that missing word for your homework or to jog your memory on a class project, or sometimes as a reminder to conjugate a verb the correct way. Many modern language dictionaries also have extensive verb sections and information about using the correct tenses to help you as well.

One thing to consider is that a lot of EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teachers don’t like overuse of dictionaries. This is based on the idea that if there is a word you are unsure of or have forgotten, it encourages dialogue within the class and helps you feel comfortable interacting and asking questions to your English language teacher.

Another teaching trick is; if a student can’t think of a word or doesn’t yet know a specific piece of vocabulary, teachers will encourage the student to describe the word using the vocabulary they do know so as to build on their speaking skills and learn in context – rather than just reaching for the Spanish-English dictionary.

So while dictionaries definitely have a use in the acquisition of a new language and are a useful addition to any English lesson or studies, they should be used as a tool rather than as a prop to support you in your English classes.