My talk this morning for ESL teachers in Mexico, for MEXTESOL, is about usage. It& #39;s a topic that is rarely covered in ESL contexts.
For most of us, "usage" is about warning people: you may be judged for using a certain word a certain way--and that may distract or undermine your message.
Let& #39;s get back to the warnings.
There are two kinds of facts presented in a good dictionary entry:
1) linguistic facts (spelling, pronunciation, meaning, etymology)
2) cultural facts (or "usage"): appropriateness for context, region, time period, offensiveness, etc.
1) linguistic facts (spelling, pronunciation, meaning, etymology)
2) cultural facts (or "usage"): appropriateness for context, region, time period, offensiveness, etc.