Job Discussion Forums

nawlinsgurl · Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 2:52 am Post subject: electronic dictionaries

I'm looking for a electronic dictionary with English>Japanese (and maybe Spanish) capabilities. It doesn't have to have the speaking fuction but be able to use the kanji/kana fuctions and be pretty reliable. Oh maybe no more than 30,000 yen...Anyone have one or some good experiences? Thanks for any advice you can offer! Smile

canuck · Joined: 11 May 2003 Posts: 1921 Location: Japan

Check out the Canon WordTank Series. They seem to be the most popular and come with an English manual.

nawlinsgurl · Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 7:17 am Post subject:

thanks!

JimDunlop2 · Joined: 31 Jan 2003 Posts: 2286 Location: Japan

I second that motion. I have a Canon Wordtank myself. When I was shopping for one, I did a LOT of looking around and playing with different models/makes and I'm very happy with the one I settled on.

My word of advice to anyone shopping for an electronic dictionary is to play with different ones in the store for a solid amount of time prior to buying it. You'll be glad you did.

pastis · Joined: 21 Jul 2006 Posts: 82

I have a Canon Wordtank V80 model. I think this model is already over a year old by now, but the nice thing about it is the little stylus it came with, and the feature that allows you to write kanji into a little box on the screen to look them up. Assuming you know how to draw kanji, this is much easier and faster (imo) than trying to find kanji that you don't know by stroke order etc. (it works for compound kanji as well). The downside (same as with most electronic dictionaries) is that it's a dictionary for Japanese people, so even though you can turn the interface into English mode, the dictionary meanings/translations/examples etc. are all from a Japanese point of view (sometimes this makes it very confusing for the English person trying to work the complex Japanese translations from English backwards)... The jump function can help a bit (mine also has a Chinese-English dictionary, which can helpfully translate Chinese kanji from an English perspective), but even then there are time when you just won't find the explanation you want...

But I personally find the stylus part invaluable (takes some getting used to, but it's great once you figure it all out). If you can find such a model actually designed for English people (I highly doubt it, I've yet to see a good one that's not designed for Japanese) that would be *very* nice. But either way, you'll find the stylus models are more expensive though... I think mine retailed for around 50,000 yen average at the time I bought it (last Christmas I think), but I found a steal in Akihabara (I recall it was just 35,000 yen, plus 2 extra pairs of batteries thrown in). I recommend shopping around, there are great deals out there if you put in some time.

nawlinsgurl · Posted: Tue Sep 19, 2006 11:05 pm Post subject:

Thanks.. I'm going to be shopping around for one the next few weeks. One more---myabe idiotic---questions: If you buy it in Japan, instead of online, does it come with a English manual? And thanks again for your help!

Sweetsee · Joined: 11 Jun 2004 Posts: 2302 Location: ) is everything

Anyone find their students to be too dependant on these gadgets? Seems most have them and I encourage them to ask questions rather than use them but without much luck.
Anyone have rules in their classrooms regarding their use?

Jon Taylor · Joined: 09 Mar 2005 Posts: 238 Location: Tokyo

furiousmilksheikali · Posted: Wed Sep 20, 2006 1:22 am Post subject:

I think the point is to make it clear which activities you will allow dictionaries to be used in and which you will not. It is easy enough to prevent students using them by simply saying "Put your dictionaries away". If a vocabulary question comes up in class, I will usually try and get another student to answer it and only as a last resort have a student look up the word.

For the most part I tell my students not to use their dictionaries, especially during speaking practice. Students who are overly reliant on them usually make all kinds of word form errors or end up with an over-abundance of unnatural expressions. Unfortunately I have a co-worker who teaches the same students and insists on them bringing their dictionaries to every class. I've never observed any of his classes but I dread to think of the irrepairable damage he's doing to them.

Sweetsee · Joined: 11 Jun 2004 Posts: 2302 Location: ) is everything

I'm with you JT, it goes against what I try to achieve with my classes at the start of the term and what I consider to be a fundamental aspect of my course; oral communication. We use a student-centered, multi-skills, communicative text and the first lesson consists of "help English". These phrases are printed throughout the text at the bottom of each page in red and blue small print, yet for the most part students are reluctant to use them, reluctant to communicate. Next term, if there is a next term, I too will ban them.

Enjoy JT,
s