Lexikos (Oct 2011)

The Dilemma of Grammatical Data in Travel Dictionaries

  • Birger Andersen,
  • Patrick Leroyer

DOI
https://doi.org/10.5788/18--475
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 18

Abstract

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<p>Abstract: Travel dictionaries are edited with a view to helping international tourists with no or very little previous knowledge of the foreign language. They aim to solve communicative problems in a number of specific situations in which tourists wish to engage in conversation. However, they also have to deal with the absence of the necessary listening and speaking skills of their users. The lexicographic information is normally twofold, as it includes a selection of relevant words and sentences as well as a selection of the grammatical rules that govern the integration of these words and sentences into tourist conversation — from words to utterances so to speak. In this article, we will focus on the selection and presentation of the grammatical data in order to investigate how they contribute to the fulfilment of their primary functions. Our thesis is that the grammatical data have to deal with a dilemma: helping tourists understand and be understood during a conversation while also helping them acquire some basic knowledge of the grammatical system of the foreign language.</p><p>Keywords: TRAVEL DICTIONARIES, BILINGUAL DICTIONARIES, LEARNERS' DICTIONARIES,ORAL TEXT RECEPTION, ORAL TEXT PRODUCTION, GRAMMATICAL DATA, SYNCHRONOUSCONSULTATION, ASYNCHRONOUS CONSULTATION</p><p>Opsomming: Die dilemma van taalgegewens in reiswoordeboeke. Reiswoordeboekeword opgestel met die doel om internasionale toeriste met geen of baie min kennis van 'nvreemde taal te help. Hulle beoog om kommunikasieprobleme op te los in 'n aantal spesifiekesituasies waarbinne toeriste graag in gesprek wil tree. Hulle moet egter ook die afwesigheid vandie nodige luister- en spreekvaardighede van hul gebruikers hanteer. Die leksikografiese inligtingis gewoonlik tweeledig omdat dit 'n keuse van toepaslike woorde en sinne insluit sowel as 'n keusevan die taalreëls wat die integrasie van hierdie woorde en sinne in toeristegesprekke bepaal — vanwoorde tot uitinge as 't ware. In hierdie artikel sal ons fokus op die keuse en aanbieding van taalgegewensten einde na te gaan hoe hulle tot die verwesenliking van hul primêre funksies bydra. Onsbeskouing is dat die taalgegewens 'n dilemma moet hanteer: om toeriste te help om te verstaan enverstaan te word tydens 'n gesprek, en om hulle terselfdertyd te help om ook 'n basiese kennis vandie taalsisteem van die vreemde taal op te doen.</p><p>Sleutelwoorde: REISWOORDEBOEKE, TWEETALIGE WOORDEBOEKE, AANLEERDERSWOORDEBOEKE,MONDELINGE TEKSONTVANGS, MONDELINGE TEKSPRODUKSIE,TAALGEGEWENS, SINCHRONIESE RAADPLEGING, ASINCHRONIESE RAADPLEGING</p>

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