Collins Dictionaries - Collins Primary Illustrated French Dictionary

Cover

Title Page

Introduction Introduction The Collins Primary Illustrated French Dictionary is a bilingual dictionary aimed at primary school children who are starting to learn French. Access to a dictionary which is pitched at an appropriate level is a vital part of the language-learning process. The content of this dictionary has been carefully selected to reflect current trends in primary education and help children with acquiring basic language-learning skills. The key aims of the Collins Primary Illustrated French Dictionary are: • to develop both language skills in French and language learning skills in general • to cover the four key areas of language attainment: listening, speaking, reading and writing • to reinforce key aspects of the language by the use of notes and feature boxes throughout the entries • to extend cultural awareness by providing information about France, especially where traditions differ from those in Britain The Collins Primary Illustrated French Dictionary supports language learning in a number of specific ways: • it develops children’s knowledge of how language works by encouraging them to understand, analyse and use simple aspects of grammar • it develops children’s individual learning skills by using a wide range of notes that explain things in a simple but interesting way • it enables children to make comparisons between French and English by encouraging them to explore the similarities and differences between the two languages and cultures • it introduces young learners to all the basic elements of a bilingual dictionary and provides detailed instructions on how to get the most out of using the dictionary The Collins Primary Illustrated French Dictionary is presented in an easy-to-use format which is intended to appeal to children of primary school age. It provides lots of simple, relevant examples and tips on how to remember words, and how to avoid some of the pitfalls of translation. It also features key phrases, illustrations and information about life in France, making it an invaluable and exciting resource.

Using the dictionary

French – English

Language plus

Animals

The body

Clothes

Colours

Family

Days and dates

The weather

Places

Food

Fruit and vegetables

Drinks

Furniture

Instruments

Jobs

Sports

At school

Numbers and time

French verbs

Illustrations

English – French

Copyright

About the Publisher

William Collins’ dream of knowledge for all began with the publication of his first book in 1819. A self-educated mill worker, he not only enriched millions of lives, but also founded a flourishing publishing house. Today, staying true to this spirit, Collins books are packed with inspiration, innovation, and practical expertise. They place you at the centre of a world of possibility and give you exactly what you need to explore it.

Language is the key to this exploration, and at the heart of Collins Dictionaries is language as it is really used. New words, phrases, and meanings spring up every day, and all of them are captured and analysed by the Collins Word Web. Constantly updated, and with over 2.5 billion entries, this living language resource is unique to our dictionaries.

Words are tools for life. And a Collins Dictionary makes them work for you.

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The Collins Primary Illustrated French Dictionaryis a bilingual dictionary aimed at primary school children who are starting to learn French.

Access to a dictionary which is pitched at an appropriate level is a vital part of the language-learning process. The content of this dictionary has been carefully selected to reflect current trends in primary education and help children with acquiring basic language-learning skills.

The key aims of the Collins Primary Illustrated French Dictionaryare:

• to develop both language skills in French and language learning skills in general

• to cover the four key areas of language attainment: listening, speaking, reading and writing

• to reinforce key aspects of the language by the use of notes and feature boxes throughout the entries

• to extend cultural awareness by providing information about France, especially where traditions differ from those in Britain

The Collins Primary Illustrated French Dictionarysupports language learning in a number of specific ways:

• it develops children’s knowledge of how language works by encouraging them to understand, analyse and use simple aspects of grammar

• it develops children’s individual learning skills by using a wide range of notes that explain things in a simple but interesting way

• it enables children to make comparisons between French and English by encouraging them to explore the similarities and differences between the two languages and cultures

• it introduces young learners to all the basic elements of a bilingual dictionary and provides detailed instructions on how to get the most out of using the dictionary

The Collins Primary Illustrated French Dictionaryis presented in an easy-to-use format which is intended to appeal to children of primary school age. It provides lots of simple, relevant examples and tips on how to remember words, and how to avoid some of the pitfalls of translation. It also features key phrases, illustrations and information about life in France, making it an invaluable and exciting resource.

Step one:

Pick the right side

Remember there are two halves to the dictionary. If you want to know what a French word means, look in the French- Englishhalf. It comes first.

If you want to translate an English word into French, look in the second half, which is English- French. It comes after the supplement in the middle of the dictionary.

1Which of these words would you look up in the French- Englishhalf? demain brother horse bonbon

2Look at page 51 of the dictionary. Is this the French side or the English side? How can you tell?

3Look at page 411 of the dictionary. What is shown at the top of the page, above the row of dots?

4Is fishthe first or the last word on page 411?

Remember that you do not read across the whole page in a dictionary – you have to read down the columns.

5Which word comes immediately after fireworkson page 411?

Step two:

Find the right word

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Words are in alphabetical order in the dictionary – like names in the phone book, and in a school register. The alphabet is shown down the edge of each page of the dictionary. You can sort words into alphabetical order by looking at the first letter of each word.

6Can you put these names in alphabetical order? Chantal, Luc, Sophie, Pierre, Jean-Marie, HélèneWhen two words start with the same letter, look at their second letters.

7In alphabetical order which comes first – Hermioneor Harry? This is the order of the days of the week on a calendar: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday