Looking for help.

[bookworm57]

Can anyone help me with making a personal dictionary as the method I'm presently using isn't working very well. i.e taking up too much time.
Whilst reading, I write in a reporters notebook the words I need definitions for, working with one chapter.I then look up these words in an on-line dictionary and copy them (with definitions) into "Microsoft word" and print them out.
Using these, I then re-read the chapter.
As well as being very time consuming, the printed words and definitions are not in alphabetical order. I'm sure there is a much simpler way to do this.

Any help will be much appreciated
Regards.

[barbara0207]

Maybe filing the words in a box is better. At least it will solve the alphabet problem. Buy a pack of index cards and write one word on each card while you read. Put the cards in the right order and look them up, put the definitions on and sort them into the box alphabetically.

If you'd rather use MS Word, put the words into a table and look for the function A - Z. If you click that button, Word will arrange the words in alphabetical order.

Then of course there is special software where foreign language learners can type in their vocabulary and learn it (thematically, alphabetically, etc).

Whatever way you choose, I think making your personal dictionary will always be time consuming.

Hope I could be of help. Good luck to you. :)

[bookworm57]

Maybe filing the words in a box is better. At least it will solve the alphabet problem. Buy a pack of index cards and write one word on each card while you read. Put the cards in the right order and look them up, put the definitions on and sort them into the box alphabetically.

If you'd rather use MS Word, put the words into a table and look for the function A - Z. If you click that button, Word will arrange the words in alphabetical order.

Then of course there is special software where foreign language learners can type in their vocabulary and learn it (thematically, alphabetically, etc).

Whatever way you choose, I think making your personal dictionary will always be time consuming.

Hope I could be of help. Good luck to you. :)

Hi barbara0207,
Thanks for your help. I did try to make a personal dictionary using MS word
but it wouldn't sort the words properly when I clicked the A-Z function.
I had moved words and definitions about on the page to make them fit and I think thats could be the reason. However, I am now going to use the cards and box method as it will save a lot of printing materials. Thanks very much for your very helpful advice. - Regards.

[papayahed]

Why not use excel, you'll be able to sort. And you can probably take what you already have in Word and transfer it over to excel.

[bookworm57]

Why not use excel, you'll be able to sort. And you can probably take what you already have in Word and transfer it over to excel.

Thanks for that papayahed, but what are you TRYing to say ?
That there is no TRY I can't get my head around this one TRY as I might.
Can you TRY and explain.:lol:

[SleepyWitch]

er, are you a foreign learner or a native speaker who wants to expand his vocab and learn lots of hard words?

[Niamh]

Good god, fair play to you. I wouldnt have the patience. Thays why i have a few standard dictionaried, Including a library edition one from 1918.

[Pendragon]

Tried building a database in access? You can then put every thing into forms, created a switchboard, and then (you definitely can alphabetize), click on the search word, and the definition pops up. This is my library database switchboard, just to show what you cab do:


http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l108/AbsalomKane/Access.gif

Any of the buttons go to different pages that can be searched in any catagory on the page. It may look difficult, but it's really not that hard.

I could show you how to set up the table for your form, a query form, and you would have it.

PM me if you like.

Pen

[Niamh]

thats impressive pen.