Abstract:
The aim of this article is to discuss the design of a new English to Setswana dictionary for two narrowly
defined target user groups of Setswana learners, i.e. Upper Primary (10 to 12 years old); and Junior
Secondary (13 to 15 years old). The dictionary is intended to be a guide to text and speech production
in the foreign language L2 (English) and the reception of English text and speech in L1 (Setswana). A
general consideration concerns the relationship between the treatment of English and that of Setswana.
As English is to be treated as a priority, many more data types will be made available for English than
for Setswana. Furthermore, we will assess the possibility of producing a bilingual learners’ dictionary
with rather imbalanced parts: for production in (and translation into) English, a detailed description
of individual items is needed, whereas for reception (and translation) from English, a large list of
treatment units is necessary, albeit with less elaborate descriptive detail. The design also aims at strong
guidance through the mother tongue, Setswana. Two possible scenarios are considered, namely separate
dictionaries for the two target groups or a single dictionary to serve the lexicographic needs of both
target groups. Socio-economic circumstances of most of the learners are such that buying more than one
dictionary is not a realistic option, and they find themselves in a pre-dictionary culture with the resultant
lack of dictionary using skills. The dictionary/dictionaries will be for paper dictionaries. The focus is on
bilingualized (BLD) and extended bilingual (EBL) dictionaries as basic design options. We envisage an
imbalanced design where guidance in terms of both production and reception is focused on English. Our
design aims at the maximum utilization of the physical space in a paper dictionary with coverage of at
least 90% of both English and Setswana.
