Oxford brings new version of dictionary app to remote learners
Oxford has released an updated version of its advanced dictionary app with the intention of aiding remote learning for homeschoolers around the world.
The app, Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, is now in its 10th edition, is available for iOS and Android and includes 100 sample entries.
According to Oxford, the app will enable distance learning, which began predominately with those living in rural and regional areas and has now become much more mainstream as educators and parents adopt or explore new ways of learning processes and materials.
Remote learning also provides a means for education when attending school is difficult or impossible, such as this time of the COVID-19 virus, which has seen many governments enforce curfews, and universities and schools close down.
The latest launch of the Oxford app is a complete guide to learning English vocabulary with definitions, example sentences showing language use and the new Oxford 3000 and Oxford 5000 word lists that provide core words for every learner.
The app offers high quality content with multiple usage samples, grammar tips and more. In addition, it lets you listen to audio pronunciations, take quizzes, track progress, learn a new word every day with the Word of the Day feature and more.
According to Oxford, it brings new content and interactive features designed to help users build vocabulary and develop natural-sounding English.
Learners can practise and improve their pronunciation, test themselves on vocabulary and usage with a new interactive quiz, get a Word of the Day straight to their device, and access the full A-Z offline to look up any word in the dictionary.
The dictionary contains more than 86,000 words, 95,000 phrases, 112,000 meanings and 237,000 examples, including 2,000+ new words and meanings. Amongst the new words are chatbot, microplastic, and woke.
Oxford University Press managing editor for the Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary Jennifer Bradbery says, "The OALD app is a great way for learners and teachers to have quick and easy access to the dictionary at all times you need never be lost for words again!
"We are delighted that our partnership with Paragon Software has enabled us to create an app version of OALD and to suit the needs of today's English language learners.
To gain access to the full app with all features, you can take a free trial, or subscribe to the full content via in-app purchase which is only $0.99 a month, $9.99 a year or $31.99 for four years. With family sharing set up, up to six family members can use this app.
The Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary was launched in 1948 and since then has gained more than 100 million English language learners.
The original dictionary was produced by A.S. Hornby, an English teacher who discovered that although his students could understand and appreciate English literature they found speaking and writing in English difficult.
Hornby explained: "I found my students were reading Thackeray and Shakespeare, and apparently with great understanding. But, to my dismay they couldn't speak English very well they could read but they couldn't speak.
His aim was to explain the words in his dictionary the way he would explain them in the classroom so that they were easy to understand and this core principle is still held by Oxford.
