Dictionary Work for interpreters - supplied and produced by Jan Cambridge
A bilingual dictionary search is only the place to start when researching
a term.
- Search for the term (headword) in a bilingual dictionary
- Check frequency listings, and any collocations listed
- Check other notations re part of speech, whether archaic or slang
or what.
- Check selected term in the other direction - preferably in more than
one dictionary
- Make sure you have understood the concept properly using monolingual
dictionaries.
- Search available glossaries, including on the net.
"Read Around" for collocations, searching target language
literature etc., especially on the net, using search engines and Boolean
searches etc.
- Also use newspapers, relevant professional journals etc.
- If appropriate, add the new term and its collocations to your own
glossary.
If you find terminology in a newspaper, journal etc, keep it, and file
it, with the term itself highlighted, for future reference.
If you hear something said, check it with a native speaker, from that
area, to be sure that you heard accurately, and have understood thoroughly,
before you add it to a glossary.
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