WORDLISTS, PHRASEBOOKS, LEARNERS’ DICTIONARIES: THE LEXICOGRAPHICAL TOOLS FOR ENGLISH ACADEMIC WRITING
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54103/2037-3597/30545Abstract
English has become the dominant global language of academia, making academic writing a crucial yet challenging skill for both native and non-native speakers. Central to this challenge is vocabulary acquisition, which underpins critical thinking, planning, and effective communication. This article examines three major lexicographical tools that support learners of English for Academic Purposes (EAP): wordlists, phrasebooks, and learners’ dictionaries. Specifically, it analyzes Coxhead’s Academic Word List (2000), Howe’s Phrasebook for Writing Papers and Research in English (2000), and the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary of Academic English (2014), evaluating their treatment of single lexical items, phraseological patterns, and semantic-pragmatic distinctions. Findings show that wordlists provide essential lexical foundations, phrasebooks offer ready-made formulae to structure discourse, and learners’ dictionaries supply detailed collocational, semantic, and pragmatic guidance for precise and context-sensitive word choice. While recent advances in Artificial Intelligence are reshaping writing practices, this study argues that lexicographical tools remain indispensable in developing academic writing competence. They not only enhance vocabulary mastery but also empower learners to become more accurate, confident, and independent writers.
Elenchi di parole, frasari, dizionari per discenti: gli strumenti lessicografici che raccontano la storia della scrittura accademica inglese
L’inglese è diventato la lingua dominante nel mondo accademico globale, rendendo la scrittura accademica un’abilità fondamentale – seppur impegnativa – sia per i parlanti nativi che quelli non nativi. Al centro di questa sfida vi è l’acquisizione del vocabolario, che è alla base del pensiero critico, della pianificazione e della comunicazione efficace. Questo articolo esamina tre importanti strumenti lessicografici che supportano gli studenti di inglese per scopi accademici: elenchi di parole, frasari e dizionari per studenti. In particolare, analizza l’Academic Word List (2000) di Coxhead, il Phrasebook for Writing Papers and Research in English (2000) di Howe e l’Oxford Learner’s Dictionary of Academic English (2014), valutando il loro trattamento di singoli elementi lessicali, modelli fraseologici e distinzioni semantico-pragmatiche. I risultati mostrano che gli elenchi di parole forniscono le basi lessicali essenziali, i frasari offrono formule già pronte per strutturare il discorso e i dizionari per studenti forniscono una guida dettagliata sulla combinazione delle parole e sulla semantica e la pragmatica in modo che gli utenti possano fare una scelta lessicale consapevole nonché precisa e sensibile al contesto. Sebbene i recenti progressi nell’intelligenza artificiale stiano ridefinendo le pratiche di scrittura, questo studio sostiene che gli strumenti lessicografici rimangono indispensabili per lo sviluppo delle competenze di scrittura accademica. Non solo migliorano la padronanza del vocabolario, ma consentono anche agli studenti di diventare scrittori più accurati, sicuri e indipendenti.
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WEBSITES
AWL Academic Word List: https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/lals/resources/academicwordlist. EAP Foundation: https://www.eapfoundation.com/.
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