You don’t need a dictionary (at the beginning).




  Just  like  a  wise  traveler, any  good  language  student  will  take  stock  of  what  they  need  to  succeed  in  their  studies. This  is  usually  done  at  the  beginning  prior  to  enrolling  for  the  class. At  some  point, every  language  student  will  have  to  use  a  dictionary  in  their  studies. From  experience, I’d  like  to  point  out  that  a  dictionary  isn’t  really  necessary  at  the  beginning, and  this  is why.

  You  see, at  the  beginners  level, one  is  just  laying  a  foundation. This  is  where  someone  starts  learning  from  the  alphabet  level, getting  to  understand  the  mechanics  of  the  language. At  this  point, the  emphasis  isn’t  on  vocabulary. This  is  the  time  to  learn  about  the  language  structure, conjugations (past, present, future) etc. Now, this  may  sound  strange, telling  a  prospective  language  student  that  they  will  not  be  needing  a  dictionary. Remember, it’s  not  that  they  don’t  need  one. No, it’s  all  about  the  timing. You  don’t  need  one  at  the  beginning.

    What  the  student  has  to  understand  is  that, no  matter  their  wealth  of  vocabulary, it  doesn’t  serve  them  right  if  they’re  unable  to  correctly  apply  it. Correct  application  is  only  possible  after  the  student  has  become  familiar  and  competent  in  the  mechanics  of  the  language. For  example, verb  conjugations in  the  different  tenses, etc. So, hold  on  to  that  extra  expense  beginner  student. You  will  not  be  needing  your  dictionary  at  the  beginner level.

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