(SKKN 2022) some methods of teaching synonym and antonym in learning vocabulary to improve skills and do GCSE exams effectively

PART A: INTRODUCTION I Reasons for choosing the topic Vocabulary plays important role in language learning.Vocabulary is also an essential skill for learning to read, speak, write and listen.Without sufficient vocabulary, people cannot communicate and express their feeling both in form of spoken and written effectively The more people master vocabulary the more they can speak, write, read and listen as they want David Wilkins claimed about the vocabulary importance “Without grammar, very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed” Qi Pan claimed, “Vocabulary is the crucial element in learning well a foreign language as one of three basic parts (phonetic, vocabulary, and grammar)” As foreign learners, the students have to learn the words first Mastery of the words meaning can help to understand sentences, passages, or courses Students’ words knowledge should be noticed while learning language One of the four practices is developing word awareness.Many students of upper high school have weaknesses in vocabulary.And one of the ways to enhance students’ vocabulary is using lexical items, such as synonym and antonym although there are many ways to enhance students’ vocabulary mastery, such as learning by using context clues, pictures, games, semantic mapping, paraphrasing According to June Preszler, vocabulary and reading has a big relation.As written in the syllabus on reading skill “Students should able to response the meaning on the simple essay or text accurately and fluently related to dailyenvironment in descriptive and recount text” which means students should be able to comprehend the meaning of the text they read.The students were expected to be able to response the meaning of the simple text by answering the questions based on the text correctly In fact, the students get difficulties in answering the question if the question uses another word in describing what in the text is They only could answer the question that written on the text In other words, they were still confused to answer the implied simple question The words they knew will help in comprehending the text It is necessary to develop their vocabulary In this technique, I have used synonyms and antonyms to develop their vocabulary knowledge So by giving synonym and antonym in learning vocabulary can help the students know not only one word but also other words that have the same meaning and the opposite meaning on the text to comprehend easily Therefore, based on the explanation above, I am eager to conduct a study about “Some methods of teaching synonym and antonym in learning vocabulary to improve skills and GCSE exams effectively” II Aims of the study Considering the importance of problem identification, problems were identified as follows: -The students are limited in using symnonym and antonym in skills and in GCSE exams -The students get difficulties in comprehending the passage -The students are not able to response the questions that using the different words With the reasons above in my mind, the finding of the study can be used by teachers, students, and other researchers in increasing students’ vocabulary For both teachers and students, this study can be useful as a technique in teaching vocabulary since the treatment of this technique is conducted continuously, it will make the students comprehend and meet the requirements in studying language easily The teacher as a facilitator guides the students to improve their symnonyms and antonyms effectively by giving some techniques Later, it is for other researchers who may need to use and apply by using other techniques in teaching synonym and antonym III Objects of the study With the hope of improving the learning vocabulary through synonyms and antonyms , the study focuses on the following objects: - Grade 12 students at high schools - Teachers at between junior and senior high schools - Undergraduates - Advanced students IV Methods of the study To realize the aims of the study, a detailed study is used The theoretical background of the study comes from many published books written by different authors on language teaching The data collected for the study came from two sources: the students and the English teachers at upper secondary schools by making personal observations through attending classes and drawing out experiences PART B: DEVELOPMENT I Theoretical background Definition of vocabulary: When talking about vocabulary, it must be about the words There are many definitions of vocabulary given by experts Vocabulary is related to word or lexis Vocabulary is list of words and its meaning John Read stated that vocabulary is about knowing the meaning of the words, accordingly the aim of vocabulary test is to expose whether the learners are able to match each word with a synonym or antonyms , an equivalent word in their own language or not The word “vocabulary” generally represents a review of the words or their arrangements in a particular language As Joklova stated that one item of vocabulary can consist of more than one word For instance, the word “bookstore‟, it consisted of two words “book‟ and “store‟ and still express an idea The idea showed the place That word is called as word phrase The writer summarizes that vocabulary is not just about words or lexis but also about the expression of its word and the meaning of the word that people known in the language A language will not be communicative if the people not know what the meaning of its words is with the expression they showed Kind of vocabulary: The words that people produced are not only words, but also their own types.Vocabulary was distinguished into two types * Active vocabulary: It means the words that student have been taught and learned and able to use They recognize the words and able to produce in spoken or written language as well In other hand, active vocabulary is the words that can recall and use at will when the situation requires it the words can be choose and used actively from memory * Passive Vocabulary It means the words that student was going to recognize but when they find them, they get difficulty in producing In other hand, passive vocabulary is the word that can be listened and understand used prompts to recall its meaning kinds of word Besides, John Read mentions two kinds of word or vocabulary below * Function words: Function words are the words used to make sentences grammatically correct The words of this kind are article, prepositions, pronouns, conjunctions, auxiliaries * Content words: are the words that give the contents of the story and tell the listener where to focus his or her attention They are nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs It can be concluded, when students learn about function and content words, it can be active vocabulary if they can use and produce the words properly in daily conversation spontaneously It might be passive vocabulary if the students cannot recall the words from their mind spontaneously They have already learned about the words but they find difficulties to produce it 3 Forms of words or vocabulary: The words or vocabulary itself comes in two forms; oral and print words while the knowledge of word also divided into two forms; receptive and productive vocabulary Oral Vocabulary is set of the words for which the meaning is known when speak or read orally Print vocabulary is the words for which the meaning is known when write or read silently Receptive vocabulary is set of the words that the meaning can be assigned by individual when listening or reading Productive vocabulary is set of the words that can be used by an individual when writing and speaking In the teaching and learning process, the students more often listen to the teachers‟ instruction that will give them many new words to receive For beginning readers, oral vocabulary exceeds print vocabulary They will comprehend easily with more simply oral instruction *Expressive Vocabulary It is used to refer to the vocabularies we use to express ourselves *Receptive Vocabulary It used to refer to the vocabularies of listening and reading *Meaning or Oral Vocabulary It is combination of listening and speaking vocabulary *Literate Vocabulary It is about the combination of reading and writing vocabulary It can be concluded, there are not only two types of vocabulary mentioned before, but there are many types They were classified the types of word based on the word and knowledge, also based on the sum of words used by According to Pikulski and Templeton, vocabulary was classified into four types such as oral vocabulary, print vocabulary, receptive vocabulary, and productive vocabulary There is similarity on the types that they were mentioned between oral vocabulary and receptive vocabulary but it has different definition based on their own assumption The importance of Vocabulary Vocabulary, much more than grammar, is the key to the students understand what they heard and read; and to communicate successfully with other people Without sufficient vocabulary people cannot understand others or express their own ideas Language learning usually involves a large number of different literacy activities and practices, and without some breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge these are difficult to grasp or Thurnbury claimed about the vocabulary importance “Without grammar very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed” He also said that by learning more words and expression will see the more improvement With words people can say anything they want, but with grammar people can only say little thing because they speak with words most not grammar People can understand what they read or listen if they know the meaning of words, though the speaker has incorrect grammatically It is more difficulties to understand the passage or speech if they did not know the meaning of the words though spoken grammatically correct Vocabulary helps students understand and communicate with others in English The students who have unlimited vocabulary will be more easy to get and learn what they read Vocabulary is obviously a very important element within a language as the knowledge as the overwhelming majority of meaning is carried lexically; and, therefore something to be taken into consideration both in second and foreign language teaching, although not only one that conveys meaning Rosa‟s opinion about the importance of vocabulary, she said that the students need to be made aware of the importance of vocabulary because, in general, there is a tendency to concentrate on grammar, paying little attention to vocabulary Such as the writer‟s experiences, from the elementary school until senior high school, when learning English concern in grammar, it less about vocabulary When talked about vocabulary, it only about looking for the meaning of the difficult words Learning Vocabulary One of the factors bringing to the unsuccessful in learning English is the students‟ lack of vocabulary Vocabulary is one of the vital elements in constructing meaningful communication Without knowing the words needed to convey their ideas and feeling the learners cannot speak and write well The student who masters a good structure seems to lose its function whenever it is not supported by the abundance of words In other words, it can be said that no matter how well students learn grammar and sounds of words, without words to express wide range of meanings, communication will become meaningless Learning vocabulary is one of the efficient ways in improving the English students’’ comprehension “The more complex the information is, the more likely the students are to misinterpret it” It is because, for comprehending the information students must be told step by step If they get complexion in the information, they will get difficulties in understanding In learning vocabulary, the significant point is the selection of words the teachers want to give to student In the beginner, it is quite easy to teach concrete words and then become more abstract and complex Learning vocabulary is a rather more complex process than it might in first sight appear It might be simple when we heard about learning vocabulary It may be thought that only learn about word and it was easy In fact, learning vocabulary is more complex because it does not mean acquiring the same amount of knowledge for every word in a language Vocabulary learning is often divided between intentional learning and incidental learning Intentional learning as being designed, planned for, or intended by teacher or student While, incidental learning is unintentional or unplanned learning There are five essential steps in vocabulary learning; *Encountering new words It means having a source for words Learning new words could be done by reading books, listening to radio, watching television, or reading newspapers or magazines Dictionaries are also used as source to find the new words or the old one The students also can be encouraged to generate their own word list *Getting the word form It is the second step in learning vocabulary visually or auditory or both to be getting of clear image of the form of vocabulary item the importance of having representation of the form of the word becomes apparent when the students think about what happen when try to retrieve words The importance of getting the words form appears when the students are asked to give word definitions A major problem for the language learners and given name synophones identified problem for learners arising from words similar in forms *Getting the word meaning It is the third essential step in the learners‟ reported strategies is the one most often associated with the idea of vocabulary learning It includes such strategies as “asking native English speakers the words mean”, “asking people who speak native language the meaning in my mind”, and “explaining what I mean and asking someone to tell me the English word” With the requirements of the task or situation and also with the level of the learners showed the level of distinctions Sometimes, language learners need different kind of definitions and distinctions depend on the words being learned and the reason for needing them Learners often get close to the meaning of the English words, choosing meanings that have some of the features of the test word For example, a windshield is a window, but it is a particular kind of window The other words are strong and hard, share some features with heavy, but distinct in some ways Some ways to get the word meaning are by using dictionaries and by having a bilingual friend or teacher explanation One very popular to get the words meaning practically and incidentally is through context *Consolidating word form and meaning in memory Many kinds of vocabulary learning drills, such a flashcards, matching exercises, crossword puzzles, and so on, strengthen the form-meaning connection It was mentioned as the example of consolidation word form and meaning in memory Cohen claimed that the more words learners can get through this step, the more words they will know overall *Using the word It is the final step in learning words According to Brown and Payne, some would argue that this step is not necessary if the goal is receptive knowledge word Such an argument, people may not understand the word being used, but they are able to comprehend the meaning by the context II Overview of Synonyms and Antonyms Synonyms and antonyms can help enrich the vocabulary of the language learner in a quick pace if they can be used productively Knowing about the synonyms and antonyms in depth can equipe you to use them with expertise so that one can use them in widening their vocabulary in a language they are learning Synonym 1.1 Definition of Synonyms Synonyms are words that mean the same or similar things in the same language Synonymous words can serve the same purpose as their counterparts more often than not Synonyms are often used to avoid repetitiveness in language when composing long speeches or written pieces Avoiding the use of the same word over and again helps bring a polish to the language used 1.2 Synonyms: Same or Similar? Words with the same meaning and similar meaning have a very subtle difference "Same" stands for the absolutely identical or easily replaceable counterparts of a source word But "Similar" stands for a word that is not identical but close to the one it is being compared to Words with both same and similar meanings are labelled "Synonym" and they are used in synonymous situations 1.3 When are Synonyms Used? Synonyms depend on the context it is being used in The words can be nearly similar but they can be used in slightly or completely different contexts depending on in which situation it is usually used The adjectives, “Beautiful” and “Handsome” are synonymous in meaning and should be okay to be used in the same or similar scenarios but to compliment someone for their appearance, “Beautiful” is used for the female and “Handsome” towards the male 1.4 Fixed Scenarios Words with nearly similar meanings tend to be used in certain types of scenarios.Though there are subtle differences between the adjectives - adorable, pretty, gorgeous, cute, spectacular etc., they are all used to throwing compliments at people or something else There is no particular reason why babies are “cute,” little girls are “pretty,” baby boys are “adorable,” a bride is “gorgeous” but a mountain view is “spectacular” 1.5 Habit Habit is a big deal when it comes to language Language comes into being when people habitually keep using similar words in the same sequence or in the same context With time, these become habit and the next generations just keep using similar sentences or phrases out of habit Sometimes, habit would decide which of the synonyms are to be used in what context even after almost being the same in meaning Certain words sound better in certain contexts and the rest are hard to sound similarly good or right in the same situation Depending on where it is being used, the words seem to revolve in flavor too Antonym 2.1 Definition of Antonym The words that make contrasting or opposite sense would be considered antonyms.Antonyms would easily stand against their counterparts Posing an opposite sense towards the word intended,antonyms keep the variety going But just like synonyms, antonyms too, play a vital part in spicing the language up and sift out the monotony from it 2.2 Antonyms: Opposite or Contrasting? The word, "Contrast" means the slight distance in meaning with the word it is being compared with "Opposite" stretches that distance farther away to the point where the word absolutely contradicts one another These opposite or contrasting terms both serve as antonyms Depending on what sense would work best and where, polar opposite or subtly contrasting antonyms are used in suitable contexts 2.3 When are Antonyms Used? Let’s take a look at when and where antonyms or opposite words are used in the English language -Context Undecided rules determine what words would be better suited in what context Antonyms play along these rules and sit where absolutely opposite or slightly opposing senses flow through It varies depending on context as to which of the antonymous terms would suit best Depending on context or whom it is indicating to or which part of their appearance is being reviewed, the antonym of “beautiful” can be - ugly, unattractive, ordinary, disgusting or grotesque A man may be “ugly” depending on his dress up, “unattractive” in appearance and “disgusting” in his behavior depending on the speaker/commenter’s emotions or choice of words 2.4 Gender Words determining the opposite gender often stand for their respective antonyms The socially accepted binary nature of gender has allowed this to happen since there were supposedly only two types of people in the society (according to their assigned gender) and they were conventionally thought of as inherently opposite of one another in nature That's where it came from that "Woman" should be the antonym of the word - "Man" in English Some may argue why it is not popularized that “Animal” is the antonym word for “Man” but most antonym lists would give “woman” as the answer Wider Choice of Words With a good collection of synonyms and antonyms at hand, the writer or speaker can be versatile in terms of choosing between them That would diminish the monotony from the language used in daily life Having a large enough vocabulary showcases mastery of the language and that in turn, entails a greater level of fluency and expertise in using the right words in right contexts Without a good range of antonyms available in your vocabulary, the speeches and write-ups can lack spark Determine New Words Getting to know new words becomes easier when you know the synonym or antonym of that particular word If you know what “good” means, putting the similar meaning of the word, “well” would be easier to have entered into your vocabulary Same goes for antonyms like - bad, evil, vile, disagreeable, unacceptable etc which can enter your collection of words more easily than adding random words to the existing collection Acquiring a Bigger Vocabulary Widening the extent of your known words is a big challenge for the new learners of any language It proves to be a hard job to keep enriching the collection of words in your target language But after a certain point, an advanced level of linguistic expertise requires a vast collection of words Since synonyms and antonyms can fast track you into opening up to a wider range of vocabulary quicker, it can be a fantastic tool for language learning For the learners of the English language or any target language for that matter, learning sets of words as synonyms and/or antonyms of the same word acquired earlier is always easier than learning completely different words with various meanings III Some methods / activities for teaching synonyms and antonyms Synonyms and antonyms are extremely useful to know because they enhance the overall command of language However, some of our students might lack this knowledge and get by with just a basic set of adjectives and verbs Why can’t it be left like that? Synonyms and antonyms demonstrate our language proficiency because being able to use various shades of meanings without repeating ourselves helps us get across more precise messages Synonyms and antonyms are crucial for exams because exam tasks involve tons of paraphrasing The more you know, the higher your result will be as this knowledge enables you to process information faster and be sure to have the right answers In today’s study , we will have a look at some activities that you can use if you want to enlarge your students’ vocabulary, prepare them better for exams or just get rid of the ever-present ‘good’ and ‘bad’ 1.Substitutes It can work with any kind of text when you want to draw students’ attention to the variety of vocabulary and shades of meaning Take a text and substitute all target words with a couple of their basic equivalents If you are learning how to write a review, you can, for instance, replace adjectives like ‘thrilling’, ‘exciting’, ‘thought-provoking’ etc with ‘good’ and ‘interesting’ If reported speech is in focus, the same with the synonyms for ’say’ and ‘tell’ Then ask students to read the text and ‘upgrade’ it, substituting basic words with their more sophisticated equivalents For lower levels, you can underline or highlight the words to be replaced, higher levels can work on their own This task can be done in pairs as well Symonym /antonym race Divide your students into two teams and ask one person from each team to come to the board Decide if you are going to practise synonyms or antonyms Then say a word, for example, ‘say’, and see which team can come up with a synonym or antonym first The first team which writes their word down correctly will get a point Then invite two new players to the board and play another round with the same word When students run out of synonyms for ‘say’, you give them a new word Quiz jar This revision activity can be run throughout the whole year Every time you and your students come across some nice set of synonyms or a tricky pair of antonyms, discuss it and write down a question on a small card The questions vary depending on the level and might be the following: What’s the difference between ‘famous’ and ‘notorious’? Can you name synonyms for ‘important’? Give as many opposites for ‘fake’ as you can What’s the opposite of ‘short’ in ‘short dress’? And in ‘short man’? Choose the word that is most nearly opposite in meaning to the word in capital letters: HAZARDOUS A.vivid B.convenient C.dangerous D.secure E.risky Store all the question cards and don’t forget to add new ones to a jar or a box You can use them to run quizzes in teams or just revise briefly, say, at the end of each month 4.Split crossword This is one of my favourite activities that can be easily adapted for teaching and revising both synonyms and antonyms In split crosswords students work in pairs and explain words from their half of the crossword to each other This is, for example, what one part of such a crossword looks like: Instead of asking students just to explain the words, you can add a twist to that and tell them to use one-word antonymic explanations If they have to 10 explain ‘talkative’, they can go like ‘quite’ – or ‘reticent’, ‘taciturn’, ‘silent’, depends on the level The same task can be done with synonyms Write 3, pass around This activity was described by Penny Ur at her autumn workshop in Rostov-on-Don Have a list of target vocabulary scattered around a piece of paper Hand out one copy for each student Ask them to write down synonyms or antonyms for any of the words given and then pass the paper to some of their group mates They repeat till there are no words left on the paper After the activity is over, you can look through the answers open class and choose the most original or the rarest synonyms Also, you can compile a list of them and ask students to write it down or to use in some follow-up activity This activity involves cooperation and is quite stress-free even for low level or struggling students As they choose the words themselves, they can pick up the ones they know and feel more confident about Also, they can spot some new word and copy it while working with the next piece of paper 11 Mother, May I? Gather your students for a twist on a classic game Act as the “mother” and turn your back to the students Students can inch forward when your back is turned Then call out a word and turn around Have each student think of a synonym for the word If they are unable to think of a word, then they must go back to the starting line Write down the synonyms on the board and discuss words that are unfamiliar to some students Continue several times and invite other students to act as the “mother.” Rewriting History Have students pick a paragraph from a history or social studies book and rewrite the sentences using synonyms Encourage students to use a thesaurus or brainstorm words to replace words in the sentences How did using synonyms improve the paragraph? Did synonyms make the writing clearer? Why or why not? Students can repeat the activity using antonyms instead of synonyms Invite volunteers to share their paragraphs with the class Opposites Attract If possible, gather bar magnets and write synonyms on opposite poles and antonyms on like poles Invite students to identify the synonyms by finding the words that attract each other Then have students see how the antonyms repel each other on the magnets Have students label their own sets of bar magnets with antonyms and synonyms and trade their sets with a partner or with another group Walk around the room and help students who need help identifying the like and opposite poles on the magnets 12 Synonym & Antonym Matching Game If you want to make things even simpler, print a word on one half of any shape and another word on the other half of the shape For example, just cut down the center after printing and have your students pair up the synonyms or antonyms to make whole rectangles! This is a great activity for early finishers Laminate to make them last longer 10 “Sound-Off” A good “sound off” is always super fun to play as a review game, too! Have all of your students sit together in a large circle Give one student a word to start with and determine if you’re working with synonyms or antonyms After you’ve given them the word and category, the next person must provide another word that’s a synonym or antonym to the starting word, and you work around the circle For example, let’s say the starting word is big and you’re working with synonyms The next student could say, “huge,” the following student, “gigantic,” and so on until no one can think of another synonym Whoever doesn’t come up with another synonym is out! It really brings out some competitiveness and creativity, but also allows for some great discussions to be made about vocabulary as a whole class The best part about teaching synonyms and antonyms is that there are so many simple activities to implement in your classroom, leaving you the digital resources and interactive notebooks to be convenient assessments or homework assignments! 13 IV Some applied exercises in teaching symnonym and antonym Matching Unit 2: Cultural Diversity ( Class : 12) Match the word in column A with its synonym in colum B Column A Column B diversity a reply flat b home for the aged job c present respond d party confide in e variety careful f commence start g apartment gift h share one’s thoughts nursing home i occupation 10 banquet k thorough Key: 1.e 2.g i 4.a 5.h 6.k 7.f 8.c 9.b 10.d Match the word in column A with its antonym in column B Column A Column B difference a minority follow b temporary majority c pessimistic reject d be under no obligation modern e tell the truth permanent f similarity optimistic g deteriorate be obliged h accept lie i traditional 10 better k precede Key: 1.f 2.k 3.a 4.h 5.i 6.b 7.c 8.d 9.e 10.g Odd one out Unit 1: HomeLife ( Class : 12 ) Find one word that is different in meaning from the others housework, household chores, domestic tasks, household duties, daily tasks help, give a hand, owe, assist, aid try, eliminate, endeavor, strive, make an effort, attempt build, construct, put up, ruin, erect child, kid, infant, gentleman place, space, site, spot sometimes, occasionally, frequently, from time to time important, creative, vital, crucial, significant 14 hobby, interest, perseverance, taste 10 task, complement, duty, mission Key: 1.daily tasks 2.owe 3.eliminate ruin 6.space 7.frequently 8.creative perserverance gentleman 10.complement Multiple choices Choose the best word/phrase that is CLOSEST in meaning to the underlined part in each of the following questions Women whose husbands not contribute to the domestic chores are more vulnerable to illness A able to be well protected B able to be easily hurt C able to be well known D able to be equally treated We enjoy spending time together in the evening when the family members assemble in the living room after a day of working hard A get together B watch TV C chat D tell jokes This is the instance where big, obvious non-verbal signals are appropriate A situation B attention C place D matter When you are in a restaurant, you can raise your hand slightly to show that you need assistance A bill B menu C help D food Peter: In my opinion, old aged parents should lead independent lives in nursing homes Nam: I disagree with you Children should take after their elderly parents A You can say that again B I can’t agree with you any more C There’s no doubt about that D That’s not a good idea Key: B A A C D Replacement: Replace the underlined word or phrases with its synonyms Our parents join hands to give us a nice house and a happy home Whenever we hurt someone’s feeling, we apologize Members of my family share the household chores She complimented me on my new shirt Could you please look after the baby while I’m away? My parents seldom allow telling lies in my family Key: work together made an apology our share of paid me a nice compliment keep an eye on/take care of rarely Paraphrasing Paraphrase the following sentences I help my mother with some housework such as cleaning the house and taking out the garbage 15 It is undeniable that families play an important part in our lives Not only my dad but also my mum works and support the family The bride and the groom thanked all the guests for their presence best wishes To attract someone’s attention, we can use either verbal or non-verbal forms of communication In America, it’s impolite to ask questions about age, marriage and income Key: I give my mum a hand with some domestic tasks like tidying up the house and emptying the rubbish Nobody can deny the importance of families in our lives Both my parents go out to work and provide for the family The couple expressed their special gratitude to all the participants for their presence and blessings In order to draw other people’s attention, either verbal or non-verbal forms of communication can be used It’s considered discourteous to ask Americans questions about age, marriage and income Some examples in GCSE exams THE GCSE EXAMS 2021 Code 402 Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word CLOSEST in meaning to the underlined word in each of the following questions Question 22: Wilson is a sociable boy He makes friends at his new school quitejeasily A shy B careful C nervous D friendly Question 23: The children enjoy learning about plants and how they grow A studying B changing C breaking D building Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word(s) OPPOSITE in meaning to the underlined word(s) in each of the following questions Question 24: It’s about time you pulled your socks up and started working seriously Your final exams are coming A studied harder B got furious C became lazy D lost confidence Question 25: The couple have saved a lot of money for their old age A spent B earned C left D won THE GCSE EXAMS 2020 Code 407 (Question 39,41, 42, 43) Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 39 to 43 16 Staying in hotels and resorts has been a traditional part of travel since the beginning of mass tourism But nowadays, many tourists want a more intimate experience For this reason, they are choosing to "go native" This often means staying in the kinds of places that local people inhabit In big cities, you can try staying with the friend of a friend You may end up sleeping on the couch or the floor, but the advantages outweigh the discomfort The biggest plus is that you'll be staying with a local and seeing the city from a local perspective Another option is house-swapping Several websites allow you to connect with people who want to trade living situations It's usual to exchange emails about favorite places in the city before the swap, meaning you can have a truly local experience But of course, you can only this if you don't mind having strangers staying in your house For the more adventurous, staying in a native structure in an African village or a hut on the water in Vietnam or Thailand can be a real thrill These might not even include plumbing or electricity, and that is part of the charm The experience of dealing with oil lamps and carrying water really gives you a sense of how the people live No matter how unadventurous you feel, you might want to consider crossing hotels off your list Getting to know the local way of life is most valuable part of travel And what better way is there to this than staying where the local people actually live? (Adapted from Solutions - Third Edition by Tim Falla and Paul A Davies) Question 39: What is the passage mainly about? A Adventurous holiday activities B Main tourist attractions in Asia C New holiday accommodation trend D World heritage sites (But nowadays, many tourists want a more intimate experience For this reason, they are choosing to "go native" This often means staying in the kinds of places that local people inhabit) Question 40: The word "they" in paragraph refers to _ A local people B.tourists C hotels D resorts Question 41: What is the biggest advantage of tourist' going native? A It is cheaper than staying in other kinds of accommodation B It offers them opportunities to make new friends C It is more comfortable than staying in hotels and resorts D It enables them to experience the local lifestyle (The biggest plus is that you'll be staying with a local and seeing the city from a local perspective ) Question 42: The word "charm" in paragraph is closest in meaning to _ A safety B attraction C danger D price Question 43: Which of the following is mentioned in the passage? A Dealing with oil lamps is the most thrilling experience for tourists to Vietnam 17 B Tourists to Thailand prefer staying in a native structure to staying in a hut C Staying with local people is more popular than staying in hotels and resorts D There are several websites used for house-swapping purposes (Several websites allow you to connect with people who want to trade living situations ) V Result after applying the study in teaching By applying these personal experiences in teaching English, I myself get excellent results First of all, these experiences are suitable with the new syllabus of English at high schools Students become more and more motivated, active and creative to broaden their understanding and develop language skills Students also have a chance to show themselves They not have to be worried, nervous before class The number of students who can speak English in class increase, especially some bad students can understand some of the teacher’s imperative structures and can use some common sentences By enlarge vocabulary through learning synonym and antonym, students in my class become more confident in learning skills and GCSE exams effectively based on the results of the students After a year applying activities in teaching synonym and antonym at Lam Kinh high school, I have got some satisfactory results Most of my students have become more motivated in learning vocabulary and of course their ability to use English in communication has been improved step by step Moreover, their learning results in English subject has got better (as detailed in the following tables) At the beginning of the school year 2021-2022: Number of s students 12C2 44 12C7 38 Clas 12C5 35 Excellent Good Average SL % 9,1 5,3 SL % 11 25,0 10 26,3 SL 21 16 % SL 47,7 47,6 10 Really weak % SL % 18,2 0 26,3 0 2,9 15 42,9 14 39,9 0 Really weak % SL 4,5 10,5 14,3 % 0 14,3 At the end of the school year 2021-2022 Number Excellent Good Class of students SL % SL % 12C2 44 20,5 18 40,9 12C7 38 13,2 16 42,1 12C5 35 7,9 13 37,6 Weak Average Weak SL 15 13 14 SL % 34,1 34,2 40,0 As shown from the table of statistics above, we can see that the qualities of the subject have changed dramatically in all skills They are much higher and better than those at the beginning of the school year Up to now, there’s been 18 enough evidence to affirm that Learning synonym and antonym has resulted in much effect in teaching English From my point of view, if we use these techniques in learning synonym and antonym widely in other classes or grades, I have strong belief that we will also be successful PART C: CONCLUSION 1.Summary of the study Based on the result of using test formula, it can be interpreted from the result of research analysis, it is proven that the students’ vocabulary scores taught by using synonym and antonym is better than before or when they were not taught by using synonym and antonym Besides, it can be seen from the table above, the students know more the vocabulary from the synonym and antonym of the words which can make their vocabulary knowledge increase Teachers of English may find this study useful because it gives a recommendation on suitable language methods, which help students communicate effectively or gain the general fluency This classification may help with choosing suitable techniques for each stage of learning It is convenient to every teachers A detailed personal recommendation is focused on the current published materials – Tieng Anh 12 and the national exams.With these in her hand, a flexible teacher can create or exchange activities according to her students’ needs or levels, to their teaching situation in order to aim at improving the language skills of English for students The aim of the study is testing the effectiveness of learning synonym and antonym at high schools, which can be made available to them In fact, all teachers know how to control the activities in teaching synonym and antonym and the ways to help students motivate in learning vocabulary Therefore I have adapted or expanded the exercises in the textbook and the materials for GCSE exams to make them suitable for the students With this study, students can get the best results in national examination for GCSE as well as in the exams for choosing the best students about English Suggestions for further study Because there is an obvious limitation of time, the study is limited in teaching synonym and antonym among many techniques at high schools Here are some points taken as followed: A study on the ways to use materials provided by the textbook effectively in teaching synonym and antonym A study on the tips and techniques, which helps to organize and practice synonym and antonym successfully To sum up, there are many methodologies of teaching English vocabulary, and each teacher has her/his own methodology of teaching but the characteristics of teaching vocabulary through synonym and antonym are the same in any languages The final purpose of every English teacher is to help 19 students to be good listeners, speakers, readers, and writers in any languages This methodology is about how to stimulate students to enlarge the knowledge of their vocabulary positively and effectively through synonym and antonym which make their speech and writing richer and more colorful and improve their reading and listening better Surely, this study cannot avoid having limitations and making mistakes Therefore, I would like teachers to contribute your sincere ideas so that we will have perfect and suitable methods of teaching English for high school students I hope it will be helpful for teaching English at high school and suitable for communicative teaching approach Because there is an obvious limitation of time, ability, and teaching experiences,the mistakes are not available.Therefore,I would like to hear from all of readers whose comments or advices are appreciated Thanks for reading my study! Writer Thanh Hóa, ngày 20- 05 - 2022 Xác nhận BGH trường Tôi xin cam đoan SKKN viết, khơng chép nội dung người khác Ngô Thị Thanh Xuân 20 ... evidence to affirm that Learning synonym and antonym has resulted in much effect in teaching English From my point of view, if we use these techniques in learning synonym and antonym widely in other... it does not mean acquiring the same amount of knowledge for every word in a language Vocabulary learning is often divided between intentional learning and incidental learning Intentional learning. .. and antonym, students in my class become more confident in learning skills and GCSE exams effectively based on the results of the students After a year applying activities in teaching synonym and