English Language Resources

  • Collins Online Dictionary An unparalleled resource for word lovers, word gamers, and word geeks everywhere, Collins online Unabridged English Dictionary draws on Collins extensive language databases and covers many literary and rare words useful for crossword solvers and setters as well as Scrabble players. Ideal for use at work and at home, new words and new meanings are tracked by experienced Collins lexicographers and expert language specialists who monitor language change around the world. It also includes access to the Collins English Thesaurus and a selection of bilingual dictionaries.
  • Oxford English Dictionary (OED) The OED is the definitive record of the English language, featuring 600,000 words, 3 million quotations, and over 1000 years of English.
  • Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary This renowned monolingual US English dictionary also comprehensively lists other English varieties. Merriam-Webster is a descriptive dictionary in that it aims to describe and indicate how words are actually used by English speakers and writers. Generally, the descriptive approach to lexicography does not dictate how words should be used or set forth rules of ‘correctness’.
  • Encyclopaedia Britannica The oldest English-language general encyclopaedia. The Encyclopædia Britannica was first published in 1768 in Edinburgh, Scotland.
  • Interuniversity Style Guide for Writing Institutional Texts in English (Vives Network of Universities) This third edition of the style guide is designed for use by the administrative, teaching and research staff and language professionals who are responsible for writing institutional texts in English. Since it was first published in 2013, the Xarxa Vives website has received over 40,000 queries. This highlights how useful it is for improving multilingual skills within the academic community. The guide is an integral part of the Network’s Language Policy Plan and has been produced by the English section of the XVU Language Quality Working Group, in collaboration with experts at university language services.