Preparing an Entry For The Turkish Learner's Dictionary
Mehmet GürlekDictionaries are the main reference sources that record the vocabulary of a language. Giving and explaining information is the main task of a dictionary. Although there are various types of dictionaries in terms of their design and content, the learner dictionaries are the ones prepared for those who want to learn a foreign language. Such dictionaries are one of the subjects of lexicography that should be studied to make progress especially in the case of Turkish. Regardless of the its type, preparing a dictionary is a work that requires serious scientific preparation, time and labor, because when we look at the dictionaries that have been prepared or are being prepared, it is very difficult to come across one that has been completed in the planned period. This situation reveals the importance of the stages of preparing a dictionary in terms of lexicography. Learner dictionaries, just like the dictionaries prepared for native speakers, provide the user with detailed information about a headword. Such detailed information can sometimes make it difficult for the learner to access the information needed. For this reason, the design or structure of a headword in a learner dictionary should be at a level to meet the user expectations. In this study, the sets of information that should be included in a headword of a learner dictionary are discussed and the characteristics of these information sets are explained. For an ideal design, headwords are evaluated in two categories: the formal part and the semantic part. Besides, the subcomponents of each category and the information sets that each category provides to the user are presented with examples.
Türkçe Öğrenici Sözlüğü İçin Bir Maddeyi Hazırlamak
Mehmet GürlekSözlükler bir dilin söz varlığını kayıt altına alan temel kaynaklardır. Bilgi verme ve açıklama bir sözlüğün temel görevidir. Tasarımı ve içeriğine göre çeşitli türlere ayrılan sözlüklerden biri de bir yabancı dili öğrenmek isteyenlere yönelik hazırlanan öğrenici sözlükleridir. Öğrenici sözlükleri Türkçe için çalışılması ve mesafe alınması gereken sözlük bilimi konularından biridir. Sözlüğün türü ne olursa olsun bir sözlüğü hazırlamak ciddi bir bilimsel hazırlık, zaman ve emek isteyen bir iştir, çünkü hazırlanan ya da hazırlanmakta olan sözlüklere bakıldığında planlanan dönemde tamamlanmış bir sözlüğe rastlamak oldukça zordur. Bu durum sözlük bilimi açısından bir sözlüğün hazırlanma aşamalarının önemini ortaya koymaktadır. Öğrenici sözlükleri de tıpkı ana dili kullanıcılarına yönelik hazırlanan sözlüklerde olduğu gibi bir madde başında ayrıntılı bilgileri kullanıcıya sunar. Ayrıntılı bilgi seti öğrenici için bazen bir bilgiye ulaşmayı zorlaştırabilir. Bu sebeple öğrenici sözlüğünde bir maddenin tasarımı ya da yapısı kullanıcı beklentilerini karşılayacak seviyede olmalıdır. Bu çalışmada öğrenici sözlüğü için bir madde başında bulunması gereken bilgi setlerinin neler olabileceği konusu tartışılmış, bu bilgi setlerinin özellikleri açıklanmıştır. İdeal bir tasarım için madde başı, biçim bölümü ve tanım bölümü olmak üzere iki kategoride değerlendirilmiş, her bir kategorinin alt bileşenleri ve kullanıcıya hangi bilgi setlerini verdiği örneklerle sunulmuştur.
Their vocabulary learning strategies. As for the teaching of Turkish as a foreign language, although academic discussions and studies on the field have occurred in recent years, the absence of a printed or web-based learner’s dictionary is a significant shortcoming.
A dictionary consists of micro and macro structures that make up the mega structure. According to the literature, sections such as content, guide, abbreviations located at the front of the dictionary and sections such as index, symbols and useful information located at the back of the dictionary constitute the macro structure. Information such as spelling, pronunciation, inflectional forms, word type, definition, grammatical categories, stereotypes, examples, usage, intermediates, collocations and etymology constitute the microstructure. Headword is related to macro structure in terms of providing dictionary users access to information and also relates to the microstructure in terms of providing detailed information about words.
The headword in the learner’s dictionary includes four basic pieces of information: spelling (i.e., a reference to sound in terms of its formal features), level code that reveals the frequency of use of the word and also is suitable according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), pronunciation that represents speech, and grammatical information that includes the structure of the word. Spelling is seen as a problem-free issue for Turkish learner dictionaries. However, Turkish dictionaries clearly should be based on the writing principles of the Turkish Language Association so that users do not experience confusion in this regard. The level code should be marked from A1 to C2 in accordance with CEFR and displayed in the learner’s dictionary as such. For pronunciation, the dictionary must go beyond the knowledge of front or back pronunciation of a sound, which is presented for native speakers, and include information about pronunciation as prepared according to the International Phonetic Alphabet at the beginning of the headword. In the grammar section, information should be given about the types of words and their inflections, as well as the valency and case categories. The design differs depending on whether the headword is a noun or a verb. Noun-type words present the conjugation forms, while verb-type words use the valency and case category subfields. Sub-fields should be created according to the noun and verb types, and the valency category should present the sub-fields of transitive, intransitive, passive, reflexive, comitative and causative while the case category should provide the sub-domains of accusative, dative, locative, ablative, and instrumental cases.
The second part of the microstructure involves the semantics of the headword, in which the interpretation of the lexicographers stands out compared to the first part. The three key components of the semantics section are the definition, usage tags, and reference.
Sense indicators are related to polysemy and are used at the discretion of the lexicographers. The sense indicator is the part that a user can prepare before reading the definition. The second component of meaning is the definition of meaning and provides users with semantic information at the beginning of the headword. The style of the definition may differ depending on the dictionary type. The third component is visual and is preferred for clearer definitions of concepts in learner dictionaries. The fourth component of the definition, the example, is data that serves as evidence to explain meaning. The example may not be mandatory for every item but gives users an advantage regarding frequently used words.
As another component of the microstructure, usage tags are closed to interpretation by lexicographers, especially in certain cases, and perform a similar function to that of sense indicators. Learner dictionaries have three types of usage tags: the subject tag, the qualifier tag, and the usage tag. The subject tag marks the field of specialization to which the headword belongs or with which it is associated. Because having dictionary makers mark social science subjects is easier than having them mark fields such as computers, medicine, and chemistry, support for special field experts is required for items that need such a subject tag. Examples can be given for subject tags such as astronomy, computer, biology, botany, grammar, linguistics, chemistry, architecture, cinema, history, and medicine.
When given before the definition of a word, the second usage tag (i.e., the qualifier) provides information to the learner about the usage of the word. The qualifier label may include such labels as sarcastic, slang, insulting, colloquial, metaphorical, or joking. Although these tags do not seem to be open to interpretation, the metaphor tag stands out as a subject with which dictionary creators have difficulties from time to time.
The third usage tag (i.e., style) provides information about the situational context in which a word can be used. Considering that language is not just a standard variant, the style tag gives users awareness of the situational context regarding the use of the word. Examples of tags in this section would be obscene, vulgar, formal, informal, and offensive.
The third component of the microstructure is called reference and has the function of directing the user from one item to other dictionary entries. A learner dictionary can have four different types of references: synonyms, antonyms, related words, and thematic classification (taxonomy). These references allow the user to learn more about the word.
Subheadwords are one of the difficult topics in dictionary preparation. This section includes formulaic expressions and words shown below the headword. This subject falls under the initiative of the dictionary creators and should be explained with the identification strategies found in the learner’s dictionary. Depending on the headword, these strategies may be based on the frequency and semantic relevance of the subheadword. Subheadwords can include spelling, user tag, description, and sample information. This information can be organized in accordance with the headword strategies.
