Using an English-English dictionary can be tricky. A paper dictionary can be heavy and expensive, and you have to know how to use it! Here, we recommend two free online dictionaries, which are easy to use, and have a variety of useful features.
Macmillan Dictionary
The first is www.macmillandictionary.com This is not an app, but a free website. When you enter a word into the search box it can show you all these things:
- The pronunciation
- Click on the X))) and you can hear someone saying the word
- The meaning (in simple English)
- How to use it in a sentence
- Any words that are related to it
- How common the word is in English text and speech: the red words are the most common (the black ones are less common). There are stars after the red words too:
- « quite common
- «« common
- ««« very common
(This is explained in the video here: https://www.macmillandictionary.com/learn/red-words.html)
You can also choose UK or US English – click on the flags at the bottom of the page
Word Hippo
The second is www.wordhippo.com.
This is a similar site, and like Macmillan, it has pronunciation, definitions and sample sentences as well. It also has a translation feature and some other useful features too, including opposites and rhymes. These can be really useful for creative writing.
Easter Time Travels
This Easter we once again hosted our Juniors School Integration Programme and it was a packed schedule. We visited so many exciting places, and really showcased the best Britain has to offer to our wonderful group of students.
How to write a good story in English
Stories are all around us – we engage with stories and storytelling in many aspects of our daily lives – talking to friends, watching TV, reading books, even historical study is told through stories. We all have a storyteller inside us, and here are our top tips on how to translate the stories from your mind onto the page.
6 Ways Reading Can Improve Your English Skills
We all lead busy lives and finding time to practice your English can be difficult. It can seem impossible to fit practicing a language in between work, family life and exercising! If this is the case podcasts may be the answer. This blog will look at why podcasts can be beneficial to English language learners and provide recommendations on where to find the best podcasts.
How can international lawyers qualify and practise in England?
Are you a lawyer working in a jurisdiction outside of the UK and want to cross-qualify in England and Wales? Here’s a guide on how to expand your qualifications and practising capabilities…. If you are a qualified lawyer in your own country but want to work in...
Exploring Darwin’s Shrewsbury
Did you know Darwin was born in Shrewsbury? Follow in his footsteps by exploring the historic town.
5 Tips for Networking in English
• Many admit to feeling uncomfortable when networking. This is understandable when facing the daunting task of attending an event full of strangers, while at the same time knowing how important it is to establish some useful contacts. This feeling is intensified further if you aren’t a native English speaker and don’t feel very confident if English is the main language used (I’ve included some suggestions in the tips below to help with this) or if you are unfamiliar with the etiquettes of networking.
Christmas at Severnvale Academy
Spending Christmas in a country that is not your own can be an eye-opening experience. At Severnvale we very much enjoy sharing Christmas traditions with our students and love hearing about celebrations from around the world. This blog is all about how we share...
Let’s Celebrate: 100 Years of Women in Law
2019 marks the centenary of women working as lawyers in the United Kingdom. Learn all about the celebration in our new blog!
Best Podcasts for English Learners
We all lead busy lives and finding time to practice your English can be difficult. It can seem impossible to fit practicing a language in between work, family life and exercising! If this is the case podcasts may be the answer. This blog will look at why podcasts can be beneficial to English language learners and provide recommendations on where to find the best podcasts.
Why study Business English?
Why choose a Business or Executive course? Many of our clients need to speak English with other non-native, as well as native, speakers. Taking part in a course here in the UK gives you the chance to work together with like-minded people from all over the world. For...
Unspoken words are usually better than words spoken in anger, and yet, they lie awake at night, weeping, wanting to be set free. They are like flowers that will never open, denied of their moment of glory in the morning sun.
They are the dusty manuscripts that never get read, let alone published. They can be the key to unlock the revolution that is going on inside your head. They can be your path to Eldorado.
They can be simply, No, or stop, or I don’t think that’s a great idea, lads. If let fly, they might save someone’s life.
Drabble source: https://www.writing.ie/members_blog/a-sample-of-drabbles-and-short-stories/