The Design and Use of Lexical Databases as

The Design and Use of Lexical Databases as Teaching and Learning Aids for Increasing Training Efficiency

What’s wrong with vocab lists? • • Difficult to keep track of vocab Difficult to customize lists Difficult to generate new lists Difficult to rearrange entries No pronunciation Hard to add images Cannot be used for looking up

What’s the solution? • Teachers endowed with eidetic memory and lightning-fast typing skills • Hand-sorted lexical cards • Databases

Why databases? Vocab lists Database Static Interactive Text All media types Unsearchable Searchable Not easily edited Easily edited

What is a database anyway? • A collection of related data • Manipulated by a database management system

Types of databases • Flat databases • Relational databases

Flat Database • Consists of one table of data • A two-dimensional matrix of posts and fields

Relational Database • Consists of several tables of data • Data in tables related in some way

Possible applications? • Only limited by input, design and ingenuity

How to design a database • Needn’t be complex to be of use • Flat databases suffice if focus is on translation to native tongue • Relational databases needed for compilation of bi -directional dictionaries or vocab lists

Databases as Teaching Aids • Generate customised query-based vocab list • Print vocab cards • Introduce vocabulary with native pronunciation

Databases as Learning Aids • • • Pronunciation Focus on specific part of speech Look up words Rearrange words Create own customised querybases vocab lists

Other Uses for Databases • • Compilation of dictionaries Field support Sustainment Templates for new databases