For the apprentice-translator, the dictionary can be at once a help and a hindrance. The author describes how this is particularly clear in the context of the undergraduate professional programme at Laval University (Québec), where the student clientele is francophone and more isolated from the influence of English than Montréal. The reflex of these students, is to be over-reliant on the dictionary, and insufficiently attentive to the message of context when translating. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate some of the errors resulting from improper use of the dictionary to the detriment of contextual meaning found in student translations at Laval. The author suggests ways to improve dictionary use while bolstering the role of context. Finally, a discussion is provided of a Canadian bilingual dictionary project designed to assist both full-fledged and apprentice-translators in Canada.