I found the CALD to be very useful in my higher level vocabulary and reading classes (upper-intermediate to advanced learners of English). It is an excellent reference book, but I would not want to have to carry it to class everyday. Finally, the dictionary itself is rather bulky. If the words were listed based on frequency, this would not be a problem. The вЂњSmart ThesaurusвЂќ on the CD-Rom lists too many words in my opinion (I got 88 different words, listed in alphabetical order, for вЂњaspectвЂќ). Having these two systems seems a bit redundant. It did this by using blue head words instead of black. The dictionary used a classification system, in addition to the information on word frequency, which showed if a word was вЂњimportantвЂќ or not. I didnвЂ™t have many complaints about the CALD however, there were a few smaller issues that could be improved upon. My students also found the information on word frequencies to be motivating, and it helped concentrate their efforts on more useful vocabulary. Several features stood out: the word guide was very useful for my students when dealing with words, such as вЂњchangeвЂќ, which have several meanings the вЂњLetвЂ™s TalkвЂќ section is well-organized and focuses on everyday English and the вЂњCommon Mistake BoxвЂќ, which is based on real learner errors from the Cambridge ESOL exams, was an excellent addition. I found it to be very user-friendly, comprehensive, and informative.

I am very impressed with this dictionary. There is also a CD-Rom with this edition. There are several features new to this edition: the вЂњLetвЂ™s TalkвЂќ section focuses on how people really speak the common mistake box mentioned above Thesaurus boxes for over-used words and вЂњWord PartnerвЂќ boxes for the most common collocations. In addition, there is information on word frequency, common mistakes, and word partners, as well as a Word Guide to help with words which have multiple meanings. The dictionary is also colour-coded and includes all the typical information found in learnersвЂ™ dictionaries. It has been specifically designed for upper-intermediate to advanced learners of English, especially those who are preparing for tests such as IELTS, FCE, CAE and others.ДЄlong with the main dictionary section, the CALD has several вЂњExtra Help pagesвЂќ, maps, colour pictures, and instructions on how best to use the dictionary. The Cambridge Advanced LearnerвЂ™s Dictionary is one of the many learnerвЂ™s dictionaries available today. Summary: Designed to be used as a reference dictionary for upper-intermediate to advanced learners of English.

Cambridge advanced learner?s dictionary