Structural Development of Oxford Advanced Learners’ Dictionary

Abstract

 Oxford Advanced Learners' Dictionary (OALD) stands out, on the EFL market, as the only EFL dictionary which has been continuously republished for over 70 years. With each new edition upgraded, OALD conforms to the contemporary language teaching and learning processes worldwide. This article presents its structural development-an evolution from its very first, Japanese edition in 1942 towards the latest one in 2015. The analysis deals with the development and changes within the macrostructural (front matter, the body, appendices) and microstructural (headword, spelling, pronunciation, part of speech, senses, definitions, illustrations, usage) frames of the dictionary.