Product Description

Longman Language Activator (second edition): The only book that can lead students to exactly the right word or phrase- even if they have never heard it before, includes: *Clear simple headings *Helps students choose the right word by helping them understand the differences in meaning between words with similar meanings *Detailed definitions and natural examples show students the correct word to use *Students learn how to use their new word or phrase correctly using the collocations and phrases given for each meaning

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #217955 in Books
• Published on: 2000-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 1530 pages

Customer Reviews

A revolutionary thing we've waiting for so long!
Now that it exists the list of your reference books will never be complete without it!

Does your English-English dictionary always satisfy you especially when you are working on your own creative writing or just formulating your ideas?
Alas! However good an English-English dictionary may be it can only show you that the way you've chosen to put something into words is acceptable, or (at its most) it provides you with one or two synonyms.
So being a non-native speaker of English, you never get rid of the feeling that there is at least one better way of expressing your thought, the way that would make it sound really English. And now here it is!

Productive - this is what Activator all about!
Formulate your idea in one simple word and find dozens of different ways to express it with whatever shades of meaning you desire.
It guides you to Proficiency. Gives you confidence and what's more - real satisfaction!

a must have for the advanced learner
The Longman Language Activator is a new kind of dictionary - it is a dictionary that enables language students to selectively encode what they want to state in English to a degree of linguistic accuracy that had hitherto been impossible using conventional dictionaries. Basically speaking, the Longman Language Activator is a dictionary of ideas. These ideas are the1052 key words that have been distilled from a spoken corpus of 10 million words and a written corpus of 30 million words. From these key words, the student is presented with options to help guide her in homing in on the most semantically relevant word for a particular context or situation. All the options are common, and are shown in order of frequency. The great strength of this dictionary is that it gives clear guidance on how words are normally used, and in which context they are appropriate, whether it be spoken or written, formal or informal, child or adult, or American or British. I particularly liked the dozen or so illustrations that demonstrate how proper use of the dictionary can train the learner to select words and phrases that a native-speaker would use, and perhaps I would have liked to see more of them. The Longman Language Activator is an excellent reference guide for teachers, and simply a must have for any advanced learner hoping to turn passive knowledge into active use.

Essential when you want to write
Longman Language Activator is fantastic. Other dictionaries are useful when you're reading a book and don't know the meaning of a word. But when you want to write, they're useless.
With Language Activator you can find the right word for what you want to say. For instance, you want to say "X is guilty" but you're looking for a better way to put it into words. So you open your dictionary and find an entry for "guilty". You are presented with a lot of words and expressions to choose from. Guilty, responsible, culpable, the culprit, incriminate and so on. There's an explanation to help you choose the best word to express your ideas. Now you can confidently write "X is the culprit" or "X is responsible for...", whatever suits your ideas well. I use it all the time. My book is falling to pieces.