Collins ELT

An Insight into Corpus: Identifying New Words and Meanings

An Insight into Corpus: Identifying New Words and Meanings

Neologisms and the constant evolution of language fascinates dictionary editors and users alike. For lexicographers, the use of corpora is essential to the way in which new words are identified, monitored and recorded. Let’s start with a little...

5 min

Improving Academic Writing with the COBUILD Advanced Learners' Dictionary by Susan Iannuzzi

Improving Academic Writing with the COBUILD Advanced Learners' Dictionary by Susan Iannuzzi

Students of English for Academic Purposes (EAP) can use the COBUILD Advanced Learners’ Dictionary to polish their English skills and become more adept at writing. Whether working independently or participating in a class or, EAP students will find the...

5 min

Using the Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's Dictionary to Develop Vocabulary Building Skills by Susan M Iannuzzi

Using the Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's Dictionary to Develop Vocabulary Building Skills by Susan M Iannuzzi

The Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's Dictionary is more than a source for the definition of words, it is also a tool for improving vocabulary skills through understanding the many prefixes and suffixes used in English words. Both students of...

6 min

Using authentic academic study materials to prepare for the TOEFL Test by Ingrid Wisniewska PhD

Using authentic academic study materials to prepare for the TOEFL Test by Ingrid Wisniewska PhD

When preparing for the TOEFL Test, it’s easy to forget that it’s not just about passing the test. The tasks in the test are intended to replicate the kind of academic skills students will need when studying at college...

4 min

Getting the most out of TOEFL Practice Tests by Ingrid Wisniewska PhD

Getting the most out of TOEFL Practice Tests by Ingrid Wisniewska PhD

Doing practice tests is a great way for students to measure their progress, become familiar with the test format and estimate the amount of time to spend on each section of the test. Ingrid Wisniewska PhD explains techniques to get...

5 min

Are Print Primary Dictionaries Still Relevant for Young Learners?

Are Print Primary Dictionaries Still Relevant for Young Learners?

Today’s language learning environment offers a wealth of information for all ages and levels of learner, with everything available online at the click of a mouse. However, even for adults, this abundance of information can be overwhelming and difficult...

5 min

CEFR Labels: Do Words Have Levels?

CEFR Labels: Do Words Have Levels?

Since the CEFR was first published in 2001, a number of projects have sought to attach CEFR level labels to words to help teachers and syllabus designers align their vocabulary syllabus with the CEFR criteria. The new edition of the COBUILD...

6 min

Exploring new phrasal verbs: drilling down and dialling it up (part 2)

Exploring new phrasal verbs: drilling down and dialling it up (part 2)

This is the second in a series of two posts about the process of putting together the new edition of the COBUILD Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs, published together with a new edition of COBUILD Dictionary of Idioms. In the last post, we...

7 min

Exploring new phrasal verbs: drilling down and dialling it up (part 1)

Exploring new phrasal verbs: drilling down and dialling it up (part 1)

With new phrasal verbs continuing to proliferate in the English language, we at COBUILD surveyed a variety of news and other media sources to identify the most frequent new phrasal verbs for the Collins COBUILD Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs.

5 min

Work on Your Idioms: digging below the surface

Work on Your Idioms: digging below the surface

Idioms can be a really fun part of language learning with their colourful imagery and quirky cultural connections. However, they can also be a real challenge for learners. There are such a variety of idioms in English and many are...

4 min

Work on Your Phrasal Verbs: focusing on contemporary usage

Work on Your Phrasal Verbs: focusing on contemporary usage

Multi-word chunks of language, such as idioms and phrasal verbs, make up a large proportion of any written or spoken text, so they’re really key for learners to get to grips with. In the next two posts, I’ll be...

4 min

Independent Learning - More than meets the eye

Independent Learning - More than meets the eye

There is no doubt that independent learning is a tricky topic for EFL teachers. This approach of independent learning, where students take control of their own work and organise and manage their studies, is promoted widely in UK universities as a way to enable students to unlock...

7 min