Browsing by Author "Steyn, Mariza"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    The access structure in learner's dictionaries
    (Bureau of the WAT, 2004) Steyn, Mariza
    Dictionaries have to be compiled in accordance with specific target users and dictionary goals. User orientation is, however, not the only criterion for measuring the success of a dictionary. Present-day lexicography requires the evaluation of the accessibility of dictionaries. The ease with which macro- and microstructural information is located and retrieved determines the quality and accessibility of the presentation. User-orientated, accessible learner's dictionaries can contribute substantially to the improvement of communication in a multilingual South Africa with different groups of language learners. Metalexicography makes provision for guide structures that facilitate access to information in the dictionary. The outer, inner and meta-access structure are functional structure elements that increase the retrievability of information and help the user to reach, as swiftly as possible, the information he/she is looking for. During the planning of a learner's dictionary, the lexicographer must draw up, among others, a dictionary plan in which a detailed explanation of the outer and inner access structure is given. Such a dictionary plan contributes to a consistent application of lexicographical decisions. Decisions regarding the access structure must also be explained and illustrated in the front text in order to enable learners to acquire dictionary skills and become effective dictionary users.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Nuwe Woordeboek sonder Grense : a typological and communicative bridge
    (Bureau of the WAT, 2005) Steyn, Mariza; Gouws, Liezl
    Within the South African lexicographical context, there have been several pleas for Afrikaans learner's and school dictionaries that incorporate innovative strategies and provide for specific identified target users and their particular problems. Nuwe Woordeboek sonder Grense (NWSG) is an Afrikaans learner's dictionary that is aimed at a specific group of users, can be used for text reception and text production and forms part of an established textbook series. Through new strategies and adaptations, this dictionary tries to form a bridge between different typological categories and to be a functional instrument for use in the classroom. In accordance with the theoretical formulation of dictionary functions, NWSG tries to further communication through initial support in and eventual assimilation of the foreign language. In this article, theoretical insights regarding learner's dictionaries as well as practical examples from NSWG are combined to illustrate the possibilities of a more user-friendly product.