Review by Choice Review
These two resources are the latest additions to the growing repertory of reference works designed for learners of English as a second language (ESL). The arena of ESL language dictionaries is a competitive one for publishers, even for a title like American Heritage, especially when ranged against publishers like Longman. Written for ESL learners at the intermediate and advanced levels, this title was first published as The American Heritage English as a Second Language Dictionary (1998). This edition contains more than 40,000 headwords and phrases, along with example sentences and about 250 black-and-white illustrations. Usage notes are occasionally provided, and various guides (e.g., on punctuation and irregular verbs) are provided in appendixes. The binding and paper quality are good. For libraries that support ESL programs or libraries that serve ESL students, but those libraries should also investigate the ESL language dictionaries published by Longman, such as Longman Dictionary of American English (new ed., 1997). ^BSumming Up: Recommended. General readers and undergraduates.The intention of the thesaurus is to build the user's vocabulary. Written for ESL learners at intermediate and advanced levels, it contains more than 6,000 synonyms of the most common English words, a much smaller number than most thesauruses. It includes a helpful preface and an explanatory diagram of a sample page to help users unfamiliar with thesauruses. Brief definitions and example sentences are supplied, and antonyms with definitions are occasionally included. Guides on irregular English verbs and the idiomatic use of prepositions appear in appendixes. The typeface and page layout make the book easy to read; paper and binding are both of high quality. ^BSumming Up: Recommended. Libraries supporting ESL programs for general readers and undergraduates. C. Pracht Southeast Missouri State University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Booklist Review
Together, these two volumes provide an excellent language resource for the intended audience of learners of English as a second language. The dictionary, a revised edition of The American Heritage English as a Secondary Language Dictionary (1998), is adapted from the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (4th ed., 2000) and defines more than 40,000 words, among them newer terms such as ATM, Internet, and on-line. Reasonably portable, it includes homonyms such as rote and wrote, which often confuse ESL speakers. Synonyms are also provided, with degrees of emphasis added. For example, synonyms for anger include rage and fury, with explanations as to their usage. Definitions for common idiomatic phrases such as here you go and look alive provide additional value, as do word-building lessons such as the ones on neo- and ^-oid, explaining how word parts are attached to existing words (e.g., neoclassicism, humanoid). Somebody and something are strangely abbreviated as sbdy and sthg, a space-saving measure that will only serve to further confuse ESL learners, who are already confused enough. New to the revised edition is a reference section containing basic grammar, forms of address, U.S. states and capitals, and a few other items. The thesaurus provides more than 6,000 synonyms. The list of synonyms for any given word lacks the depth and breadth of word choice provided by a standard thesaurus such as The Oxford American Thesaurus of Current English (1999), with 350,000 synonyms. However, unlike a standard thesaurus, the synonyms are not just listed but defined and also used in sample sentences. Two bonus features are a section on irregular English verbs and a section on idiomatic use of prepositions such as attest to, estranged from, and proficient at. Both works are done in an extremely readable larger font with plenty of white space. They are recommended for libraries serving ESL communities.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
The dust jacket on these titles anoints each book as "The best resource for American English as a second language." The description may indeed fit the American Heritage Thesaurus for Learners of English, but it would be a stretch to apply it to the Dictionary. The Thesaurus stands alone in the U.S. market and fills a real need. The Dictionary, however, is a revision of The American Heritage English As a Second Language Dictionary. The Thesaurus has over 6000 main entry words that were chosen for vocabulary building by professional writers who also teach ESL students; every synonym has a brief definition and a sample sentence in an everyday American context to clarify its meaning. Two appendixes contain lists of irregular English verbs and idiomatic uses of prepositions, and each term in these lists is also shown in a brief sentence to demonstrate its proper use. The layout of the pages is excellent: it resembles a web page, with large amounts of white space and horizontal lines for easy navigation and focus. Any student of English who endeavors to write and speak well, using the nuances of American English, will be ably assisted by this Thesaurus. It is enthusiastically recommended for all libraries. The Dictionary is more problematic. Its introduction is confusing and written in marketing-like phrases: "Your Dictionary is " and "Your Dictionary contains ." There are typographical errors in descriptive headings (e.g., "World Building Notes" for "Word Building Notes"). The International Phonetic Alphabet is not commonly used and will pose a problem to many non-native-English speakers. Words that have entered widespread usage, such as DVD and carjacking, are absent. This is troubling in a dictionary that states it contains the "very latest vocabulary list" and that has a late 2002 copyright date. On a positive note, this work does contain selective homonyms that have been highlighted for those trying to find the meaning of words they have heard spoken. Nevertheless, a more useful buy would be the Cambridge Dictionary of American English or Longman Dictionary of American English.-Kara L. Giles, Dominican Univ. Lib., River Forest, IL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
