I started my lexicography career working in-house at CUP on the first edition of the Cambridge Learner’s Dictionary which provided me with an excellent grounding in ELT dictionaries.
As a freelance lexicographer, I’ve worked on dictionaries for all the major dictionary publishers, including CUP, OUP, Longman, Macmillan, Chambers and Collins COBUILD. I’ve worked on general learner’s dictionaries and more specialist publications such as the Oxford Guide to British and American Culture, the Oxford Learner’s Thesaurus, Oxford Learner’s Dictionary of Academic English, the Collins COBUILD IELTS Dictionary and COBUILD English Usage. I also worked on the Oxford Dictionary of English (third edition).
In 2019/20, I was involved with the Oxford dictionaries team in introducing the updated Oxford 3000 and Oxford 5000 word lists, linked to OALD10. I gave webinars, wrote blog posts and put together a number of worksheets aimed at helping teachers understand the research and rationale behind the lists and how they can be used in the classroom. I also wrote a position paper working alongside the dictionaries team and the project’s academic advisors, James Milton, Paul Nation and Marlise Horst – available to download here.
I was senior editor for the Collins COBUILD Key Words for IELTS series of dictionary-style vocabulary books and co-editor for Key Words for Cambridge English First. On both titles, I was involved in developing word lists, format and features, as well as briefing and project managing a team of freelance compilers.
My work in lexicography over nearly 25 years has also led me to my role on the expert panel for the A.S. Hornby Dictionary Research Awards – click on the Hornby Trust tab above to find out more.
Dictionaries I’ve worked on include:
Cambridge Learner’s Dictionary (CUP)
Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (CUP)
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (Longman)
Longman Active Study Dictionary (Longman)
Chambers Student Learner’s Dictionary (Chambers)
Macmillan Collocations Dictionary (Macmillan)
Oxford Guide to British and Amercian Culture (OUP)
Oxford Learner’s Thesaurus (OUP)
Oxford Learner’s Dictionary of Academic English (OUP)
Genius English-Japanese Dictionary (OUP/Taishukan)
Oxford Dictionary of English 3e (OUP)
Collins COBUILD IELTS Dictionary (Collins)
Collins COBUILD Phrasal Verbs Dictionary 4e (Collins)
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary 4e (Collins)
Other reference resources:
Collins COBUILD English Usage 4e (Collins)
Collins COBUILD Key Words for IELTS (Collins)
Collins COBUILD Key Words for Cambridge English First (Collins)
Jules' Words 