How to Choose a Dictionary

Recommendations for Other Reference Books

There are many kinds of reference books available in Japan: specialized dictionaries (dictionaries of slang, idioms, phrasal verbs, and so on), and books that focus on particular aspects of grammar and usage. I haven't looked at most of these, and so I can recommend only a few.

If you have a reference book that is especially useful, please send me e-mail about it, and I'll post the information here. (I'd like recommendations from students and teachers of English only, so if you are a book company representative, please don't send me e-mail!)

The books below are ones that I have used in class or that I think can be especially helpful for Japanese students of English.