Role of Dictionaries in learning a language

A dictionary is a reference book containing the words of a language usually alphabetically arranged, with information on their forms, pronunciations, functions, meanings, etymologies, spellings and idiomatic uses. Most of these information cannot be found in other reference books. In language learning process the importance of using dictionary cannot be denied. It is obvious that the dictionary can be an extremely useful learning resource, especially as it makes the learner more independent of the teacher.
Training the proper use of a dictionary will be of help in selecting the meaning that is appropriate to a given context. Bilingual and monolingual dictionaries are the most used dictionaries by the foreign language learners. There are many advantages of using monolingual dictionaries in language learning. Students should be aware of the fact that dictionaries vary with respect to the number of words they include and the amount of information they provide for each lexical item. The shorter the dictionary entry for the word is, the less trustworthy it will be.
It can be said that the benefits of dictionaries to language learners should not be ignored in language classes. Unfortunately, in most classrooms, very little time is provided for dictionary use. But it is an undeniable fact that a learner who makes good use of a dictionary will be able to continue learning outside the classroom and this will give him considerable autonomy about the decisions he makes about his own learning. In a teaching /learning situation, therefore, dictionary training should be an integral part of any syllabus.