Dictionary.com is a site mainly devoted to the English dictionary. My
first impression was that it would be a language
to language dictionary
service, and although it does have a translation texts service, the
majority of the site is about improving English vocabulary.
On the site are many different sections:
1. A thesaurus, using Roget's thesaurus, - very user friendly: much easier to use than the original book!
2. A Word of the Day section,
with an option for receiving daily e-mails - very cute and simple for
those who wish to slowly increase their vocabulary.
3. Various language resources such as FAQs about words, grammar useage and a dictionary forum - very comprehensive but simply written.
4. A games section with puzzles
such as crosswords, wordsearchs and word games - good for encouraging
children to improve their vocabulary skills.
5. A features section, this
month's featured article being 'Back to School Word Origins' - also
interesting and good for children and teachers alike.
6. A link to reference.com - encyclopedia and almanac (separate abstract to follow...)
7. An 'other dictionaries' section - not just foreign languages (even Hawaiian!), but also sign language among others.
8. A translate text instantly section
- with a limited number of languages (12), from English or to English.
Not being familiar with any of the additional languages, I can't
comment on the quality of the translation.
In short, the site is an interesting informative site, for anyone
wishing to familiarise themselves more with the English language. It is
great for native speaking school pupils, for high level students of
English as a foreign language and of course a good resource for English
teachers. It is a user friendly site, clear and simple. The site also
has an option to pay a subsciption fee (19.95 dollars a year) and
receive everything without popup ads: possibly useful for someone who
wishes to be a frequent user of the site.
I hope my abstract of this site has been useful to you.