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In this revamped edition, Oxford Picture Dictionary houses over 4,000 words and phrases, all illustrated with artwork that is vibrant and crystal-clear. Packed with exercises and stories, it makes for an excellent reference for enhancing one's vocabulary and acts as a conclusive teaching or self learning tool. Summary Of The Book This theme-based second edition of the Oxford Picture Dictionary is primarily designed to assist young-adult non-English speakers in their attempt to learn English. In order to suit modern learning needs, the content is thoroughly revised as per valuable inputs from experienced teachers and users of the previous edition. It is systematically organized among 12 units that include Everyday Language, Food and Recreation, Housing, and People. As a new feature in this edition, each unit begins with an introductory page that gives a quick vocabulary reference. The book then proceeds to teach words, old and new, through the much effective visual medium of pictures. A story page, another new addition is introduced at the end of every unit which uses the words taught in the chapter to form a story. This, along with the pre-reading questions, aims at overall reading development, and encourages critical thinking and predicting skills. Yet another attractive feature of Oxford Picture Dictionary is the practice activity section at the end of every page. This is intended to promote usage of the words taught and test the learner's grasping levels. Students can also hugely benefit from the pronunciation guide and the speaking exercises by practicing in small groups. The illustrations too have been upgraded to be more visually appealing and closer to real life scenarios. Oxford Picture Dictionary has attained a highly acclaimed stature in the field of ESL (English as a Second Language) programs worldwide. This second edition was published in 2008 and has been made available in 13 different bilingual editions. About The Authors Jayme Adelson-Goldstein is an ESL trainer, author and consultant. Some of her published works include Read And Reflect, Step Forward: English For Everyday Life, and Classic Classroom Activities. Goldstein began her career in 1981 as an English instructor to helicopter pilots. She has ever since worked with various ESL programs. She has held different positions including those of a program coordinator, a classroom teacher, and a professional development specialist. In addition to being involved in developing course curriculum for federal and local level Distance Learning Courses, she runs teacher-training workshops across Canada and the United States of America on the matters of vocabulary development and cooperative learning. She is married to linguistics writer Gary Goldstein and currently lives in Northridge, California. Norma Shapiro is an American author and ESL trainer. Dian And The Gorillas and The Basic Oxford Picture Dictionary Workbook are her other books. Shapiro, who started her career in language teaching in 1982, has conducted several workshops on communicative activities and vocabulary development using the visual medium. Having extensively traveled as a part of Chalk Talk Workshops and as a teacher's trainer for the Peace Corps, she now trains teachers in the ESL Teacher Institute of California.