| Abstract: |
Emphasis on the functional approach to lexicography, for example the so-called Function Theory of Lexicography proposed by Bergenholtz and Tarp (2002, 2003 & 2004; see Tarp 2008 for a review), has promoted the vision that lexicography is at a crossroads where it is difficult to develop further without a thorough rethink of lexicography in general and of dictionaries in particular (Bergenholtz, Nielsen & Tarp, 2009). As the science of dictionaries, lexicography is no longer a job for amateur and occasional lexicographers; rather, lexicography is an area of social practice and independent science of academic study, with its own theoretical foundations, adaptation to new discoveries, and relationships. This paper adds to the current stay of play regarding learner's dictionaries (Fuertes-Olivera & Arribas-Baño, 2008; Tarp, 2008; Fuertes-Olivera, 2010), and presents the theoretical foundations needed for constructing cognitive-oriented specialised dictionaries. In particular, it focuses on the concept of "systematic introduction" in specialised Internet dictionaries, an outer text component recommended to convey data that can nurture the cognitive needs of Languages for Specific Purposes (LSP) users. |