[hamlet554]

Hi,
I do agree with BobK as well. That's how I usually go. For my intermediate and advanced level students I use monolingual dictionaries in class only. If they aren't happy with the monolingual explanation, I give them a German translation if necessary. What they use at home I can't control anyway but it's important to teach them how to use the monolingual dictionaries. Usually they are allowed to use one in their class tests as well, so it's best if they know their way through the dictionary, also how to use co-references, etc.

At home I use both myself, monolingual dictionaries if I'm almost sure and just need to reconfirm and the bilingual one if I'm lost for a translation. But especially when correcting papers of my students I work with the monolingual one only as that one gives me almost all the English contexts in which the words are used. The dictionary I use is also the Collin's English Dictionary - the big one! - I've had a small rather dull version which was cheap but not helpful at all.