BỘ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠOTRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC QUẢN LÝ VÀ CÔNG NGHỆ HẢI PHÒNG---NHIỆM VỤ ĐỀ TÀI TỐT NGHIỆPLớp : NA2401NNgành :Ngôn ngữ Anh – NhậtTên đề tài: A Study On Applying Synonyms ToLearning
INTRODUCTION
Rationale
The world is developing quickly, but the language barrier still is an invisible obstacle that people have to face nowadays English is like a bridge, bringing people from different regions closer, while also creating many opportunities in our studies and work Learning English can have many benefits, some of them being: * It allows you to communicate with people from different countries and cultures You will be able to understand their language and share information or ideas in a way that is easier for others to comprehend than when communicating using your own native language * Learning English makes it easier for you to read books, articles, blogs and other types of written content in another language * Learning English opens up more job opportunities as employers may prefer candidates who are fluent in multiple languages rather than just one.All of the benefits listed above are great reasons to learn English, but there is also another benefit that can be gained by learning this language This benefit is not just related to practical use but also mental and emotional growth By immersing yourself in an entirely new culture and language, you will become more open-minded and flexible which may help you develop your personality as a person while broadening your horizons on many different topics.
In Vietnam, English is considered as a second language and is taught as a compulsory subject in schools However, since Vietnam is a non-native environment, skills such as listening, speaking, reading, writing, and grammar are appreciated when learning English whereas pronunciation often is ignored in most educational institutions.Hence, some Vietnamese students are struggled with English learning.
The author discovered howlearning synonymscontributes tolearning English vocabulary of Vienamese students English teachers are sometimes frustrated by their students' difficulties with English vocabulary Among other things, most students are struggle with lack of vocabulary, distinguishing synonyms in certain contexts, choosing and using words properly and effectively in communication and work.
Due to several consequences afterwards that people can suffer, this issue must be addressed One of the most efficiently methods can solve this problem is applying synonyms to studying Englishwhich can help students improve theirvocabulary, word
Vietnamese students in order to help them with their English vocabulary problems. The study benefits a wide range of subjects, especially for Vietnamese students.
As a result, the purpose of this study is to determine the impact of applying synonyms on the vocabularyof Vietnamese students.
Significance of the study
It is necessary to use synonyms to enrich our vocabulary in studies and work.Thus, the author conducted a study titled " A Study On Applying Synonyms To Learning English Vocabulary And Providing Tutorials On How To Use Synonyms Effectively"
It is hoped that this research will help English learners, specificallyVietnamese studentshave a better understanding about their problems and properly apply synonyms to improve their word using skill.
Aims of the study
This study aims to introduce synonyms and their applications to learning English of Vietnamese students In addiction, having the right direction from the beginning will make the process of learning English at school easier and more efficient.
To achieve the stated objectives, the research focuses on the following topics:
- Guidance on how to use synonyms effectively.
Research question
The following research question was posed: How applying synonymshas helpedVietnamese students improve their vocabulary, speaking and writing skills?
Scope of the study
The subjects of this study are limited to Vietnamese students This survey's samples will be 56 students A self-administered questionnaire serves as the survey instrument.Participants complete the questionnaire on their own The questionnaire contains both closed-ended and open-ended questions.
Methods of the study
The quantitative method is used to gather data for the study A survey questionnaire for Vietnamese studentswas used to collect data In addition, an interview is conducted as a supplement to the survey questionnaire.
All conclusions and recommendations are made based on the results of the data analysis of the study.
Design of the study
The study is divided into five main parts:
Part I is an Introduction, this chapter provides an overview of the research such as rationale, significance, aims, research questions, scope, methods and design of the study.
Part II is Development - the core of this chapter is divided into two chapters:
1.This section provides details on synonyms definition and types of synonyms.
2.This section provides details on the synonyms usage
This chapter provides a detailed introduction to: the researcher; participants; resources and materials; instruments for collecting data; data collection procedures; and finally, a conclusion.
Part III is Data Analysis
This part consists of two parts.
The first is the design of the survey questionnaires, which presents the questions to be included in the survey.
The second is data analysis The second section analyzes in detail the data collected after the survey.
Part IV is the Results and discussion, then the proposed solutions and finally some recommendations for students after the survey process.
Part V is the Conclusion, which summarizes what was given in previous chapters, the limitations of the study, and makes recommendations for further study.
DEVELOPMENT
Theoretical Basis
“A synonym is a word you use when you can’t spell the other one.” – Baltasar Gracián.
Synonyms are words belonging to the same part of speech and possessing one or more identical or nearly identical denotational meanings, interchangeable in some contexts.
Many scholars have different opinions regarding the definition of synonyms For example, Melenciuc (2000) explains synonyms as words of the language which have almost identical meanings but are different in morphemes.
Arnold (1983) offers another definition which describes the notion "synonymy" explained by identity of meaning and interchangeability.
If we see the Charles Smith's definition (2006), synonyms are words which agree in expressing one or more characteristic ideas in common.
The coincidence in the essential meanings of linguistic elements which at the same time usually preserve their differences in connotations and stylistic characteristics is often known as synonymy.
Synonyms can be any part of speech (e.g nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs or prepositions), as long as both members of the pair are the same part of speech.
Noun: student – pupil, lady – woman
Verb: help–assist, obtain –achieve
Adjective: sick – ill, hard– difficult
Adverb: quickly – speedily, profoundly – deeply
Preposition: on –upon, regarding – concerning
Conjunction: so that– in order that, however – nevertheless
Note that synonyms are defined with respect to certain senses of words; for instance, pupil as the "aperture in the iris of the eye" is not synonymous with student Similarly, he expired means the same as he died, yet my passport has expired cannot be replaced by my passport has died.
In daily language you can often hear such sentences as "I like this piece of music very much" or "I love this piece of music" where the verbs "like and love" can convey almost the same meaning, i.e feelings of attraction, approbation, fondness But read the following extract, in which a young woman rejects a proposal of marriage:
"I have always liked you very much, I admire your talent, but, forgive me, I could never love you as a wife should love her husband."
(From The Shivering Sands by V Holt)
We can see that each of the three verbs, though they all describe more or less the same feeling of liking, describes it in its own way:
"I like you, i.e I have certain warm feelings towards you, but they are not strong enough for me to describe it as love".
Some linguists claim that no synonyms have exactly the same meaning (in all contexts or social levels of language) because etymology, orthography, phonic qualities, ambiguous meanings, usage, etc make them unique However, many people feel that the synonyms they use are identical in meaning for all practical purposes Different words that are similar in meaning usually differ for a reason: feline is more formal than cat; long and extended are only synonyms in one usage and not in others, such as a long arm and an extended arm.
This is what many linguists have referred to as the duality or dual characteristics of synonyms Regarding duality or the dual characteristics, synonyms are said to be both the same and different: they are the same in that they often share the same denotative components and they are different in that their connotative components or connotations are usually very different This also means that when we attempt to use one word of a group of synonyms for a particular context, great consideration should be taken.
Let us examine the following the following set of synonyms:
Attempt (v) Make effort implies making an essentially single effort Try (v) Make effort stresses effort or experiment made in the hope of testing or providing something.
Endeavour (v) Make effort stresses the implication of exertion and difficulty Essay (v) Make effort implies difficult but also suggests tentative trying or experimenting Strive (v) Make effort implies great exertion against great difficulty and specially suggests persistent effort
When we analyze the semantic features of words in the above set, we find that there is no identity in all their semantic features The five words have some common feature (or the denotative component) but one word in the set has only this feature while others have some additional features also.
A further illustration will be supplied by a group of synonymous nouns: hope, expectation, and anticipation They are considered to be synonymous because they all three mean "having something in mind which is likely to happen" There is strongly pronounced difference in their shades of meaning Expectation may be either of good or of evil Anticipation, as a rule, is a pleasurable expectation of something good. Hope is not only a belief but a desire that some event would happen The stylistic difference is also quite marked The Romance words anticipation and expectation are formal literary words used only by educated speakers, whereas the native monosyllabic hope is stylistically neutral Moreover, they differ in idiomatic usage. Only hope is possible in such set expressions as: to hope against hope, to lose hope, to pin one's hopes on something.
1.2.1 Absolute synonyms (words that coincide in all their shades of meaning and in all their stylistic characteristics)
If two words have identity in all their semantic features they are called absolute synonyms The occurrence of absolute synonyms not only depends on the lexical meaning but also on the distributional characteristics of the words How to find out the absolute synonyms? One common testapplied to know whether two lexical items are absolute synonyms or not is the test of interchangeability and substitution Two lexical units can be absolute synonyms if and only if they are interchangeable for one another in all contexts without the slightest change in their meaning But this is rarely found, if we do not say, it is almost impossible to get complete synonyms in a language To quote Ullmann "absolute synonymy is an extremely rare occurrence, a luxury that a language can ill afford" (After Lyons 1968, 437).
However, absolute synonyms are found only in a few monosemantic words which have technical meanings But here again the terms are not used by the same writer or school They are used by different schools. e.g Spirant–fricative
There are some very rare cases where we may find cases of absolute synonyms. e.g Very Important Person: VIP, Vice Chancellor : VC
They are the synonyms that differ in terms of denotation or differ in shades of meaning. e.g look – seem – appear test – check – examine house – home move – swing see – watch – look – glance – stare – gaze – glare beautiful – handsome – good looking – pretty laugh – smile – giggle – chuckle – grin clever – intelligent
1.2.3 Stylistic synonyms (words which, without explicitly displaying semantic difference, are distinguished stylistically) e.g begin– commence build – construct
Stylistic synonyms can also appear by means of abbreviation In most cases the abbreviated form belongs to the colloquial style, and the full form to the neutral style. e.g examination– exam laboratory – lab
Among stylistic synonyms we can point to a special group of words which are called euphemisms. e.g the late – dead perspire – sweat
Another case is slang, literary or formal synonym. e.g die – kick the bucket (sl.) – perish (literary) – decease (formal)
In a stylistic opposition of synonyms, the basis of comparison is again the denotational meaning and the distinctive feature is the presence or absence of a stylistic coloring which may also be accompanied a difference in emotional coloring.
They are the synonyms that differ in terms of both denotation and connotation or stylistic coloring. e.g house – slum – residence – dwelling hometown – homeland dismiss – sack – fire
They are the synonyms that differ in their collocation. e.g do – make tell – speak – say ill – sick deep – profound hear – listen language – tongue
They differ in terms of the territories or countries in which they are used. e.g autumn (British English) – fall (American English) football (B.E) – soccer (A.E) sidewalk (A.E) – pavement (Atlantic) film (B.E) – movie (A.E) underground (B.E) – subway (A.E) lorry (B.E) – truck (A.E) motorcar (B.E) – automobile (A.E) centre (B.E) – center (A.E)
1.2.7 Ideographic synonyms (words conveying the same notion but differing in shades of meaning, i.e between which a semantic difference is statable)
For example, Lonely as compared with alone is emotional as is easily seen from the following sentences:
"I'm just a lonely boy, lonely and blue I'm all alone with nothing to do" I've got everything you could think of But all I want is someone to love."
Both words denote being apart from others, but lonely besides the general meaning implies longing for company, feeling sad because of the lack of sympathy and companionship Alone does not necessarily suggest any sadness at being by oneself.
Methodology
In applied social research, survey research is one of the most important and useful measurement research methods Survey research is defined as a systematic investigation conducted through the use of a survey Surveys are an excellent way to collect opinions and learn what people think about the contexts and situations you want to investigate This allows you to collect information directly from people who are affected by a specific context when used in research One of the most compelling arguments for survey research is that it allows writers to collect the most authentic data sets through a systematic investigation Survey research can be used to collect specific information from identified first responders.
Based on the benefits of survey research, the author decided to use a survey questionnaire as the main data collection method for the graduate paper The writer describes the research context (students and their backgrounds, resources, and materials), resources and materials, data collection tools and procedures, and how they are integrated with the research paper in this chapter.
The study was carried out by a student who has been the last year student at Hai Phong Management and Technology University She has unbounded curiosity about English and is always trying to find a way to solve vocabulary problems Therefore, the researcher has learned and found enormous potentiality of synonymsfor learning vocabulary Research applies the following criteria: easy to learn, easy to find, interesting, and effective The author suggests that maybe there are some more methods to strengthen students' passion for learning, make students love learning English that they can apply in the future.
All relevant data used for analysis in this study were collected from 56students Their ages ranged from 13 to 25 years The majority of the students are high school students (40 students) There were 4secondary school students and 12universitystudents Their current English level is assessed at the intermediate level However, everyone's word using ability is different
Furthermore, students were selected as research subjects because they were willing to try new techniques and learning methods.
Synonyms isvery familiar and accessible for lower-proficiency learners So, even if students' English ability is limited, synonyms can be applied to most people.
In order to obtain the desired data, the data were collected through a data questionnaire (Appendix 1) let them elaborate on their viewpoints about the synonyms.
In this study, the questionnaire consisted of 8 questions The 8-question questionnaire asked participants to give their opinions on applications of synonyms and their level of understanding of the synonym.
The researcher in this study provided a sample(Appendix 2) with steps for students to practice The results were collected one month later using a survey form, along with a record of additional student comments Each student was given intensive hands-on practice.
DATA ANALYSIS
The design of the survey questionnaires
The survey was distributed to Vietnamese students to find out the reality of learning English vocabulary The students are asked to check the answer that best corresponds to their opinion The questionnaire contains the following eight questions:
Question 1aimsto exploit information about students' English learning time.
Question 2aimsto exploit information about students' English proficiency.
Question 3Compare the difficulty of vocabulary and grammar in students' assessments
Question4The correlation between the presence of synonyms and the process of learning Englishvocabulary.
Question 5 The relationship between the presence of synonyms and English tests. Question 6attention to synonyms in the process of looking up English vocabulary. Question 7Problems when looking up Vietnamese - English vocabulary are indirectly related to understanding synonyms.
Question 8+9how each student learns synonyms.
Question 10 Significant contributions from learning synonyms.
Question 11debate about whether negation and antonym are a synonymous phenomenon
The questionnaire was written in both English and Vietnamese so that the students could clearly understand the researcher's purpose given the fact that some Vietnamese students had limited English proficiency.
Data analysis
2.1 The result from the students’ English learning time
Question 1: How long have you been learning English?
3-5 years 5-7 years more than 7 years
The chart above shows that 61%(34 students) of the respondents have studied English for about 5 to 7 years, and the remaining 39%(22 students) have studied English for more than 7 years That shows that 100% of respondents have studied English for more than 5 years That is a long time for students, proving that learning English has become necessary In fact, most students have access to English from a very early age and English has become a mandatory subject in most training programs from elementary school, middle school, and high school to University The Ministry of Education really pays special attention to this subject, and considers English almost as a second language.
2.2 The result fromStudents' English Proficiency
Question 2:How is your English level?
Secondary school level High school level Fluent in communication IELTS level
The given pie chart reveals the students' English level Of which 7.1% (4 middle school students) reached the junior high school level, 35.7% (20 high school students) reached the high school level, 28.6 % (9 high school students and 7 university students) were able to communicate in English fluently, the remaining 28.6% (12 high school students and 5 university students) achieved IELTS score of at least 6 points Thereby, it is possible to assess English learning need of high school students is the highest This is partly because English has been included in the compulsory high school education program, partly because the number of high school students wishing to register to study abroad is relatively large, and some others choose English as an exam subject for university entrance examination Furthermore, along with the enthusiasm of youth and desire to explore the world, this age is also the period when people develop the most in both body and mind, and is a suitable time to acquire a lot of new knowledge Those surveyed were university students who also had a good level of English or higher The main reason is that students at this stage already have a clear orientation and enough awareness about the importance of learning English.
2.3 The result fromComparing the Difficulty between Vocabulary and Grammarin students' assessments
Question 3:In the process of learning English, grammar and vocabulary, which part do you find more difficult?
Grammar is more dif - ficult; 25.00%
Compare The Difficulty Between Vocabulary And Grammar
The chart shows students' subjective assessment of the difficulty of English vocabulary and grammar According to the data shown, it can be seen that the assessment of difficulty of vocabulary (29%) is slightly higher than that of grammar (25%)
In addition to answer choices, many students responded that sentence structure and verb conjugation were reasons they found English grammar difficult; meanwhile, the phenomena of synonymy and polysemy make them easily confused and difficult to distinguish when using words in different contexts Another reason why more people vote for vocabulary is the difficulty in pronouncing Englishand distinguishing homophones when listening.
These detailed responses partly demonstrate the influence of synonyms on English vocabulary learning.
2.4 The result from correlation between the presence of synonyms and the process of learning Englishvocabulary
Question 4:When learning English vocabulary, what have you noticed?
Correlation Betw een The Presence Of Synonyms And The Process Of Learning English vocabulary
Correlation between the presence of synonyms and the process of learning English
In chart 4, the survey results show more clearly how synonyms affect students' English vocabulary learning.
In chart 4, the survey results show more clearly how synonyms affect students' English vocabulary learning Overall, the number of votes for "Many new words are words you know but their meaning or usage has changed" (polysemy) is the highest (42 votes), but if we look more closely we see that the total number of votes for 2 answers related to synonyms is higher (34+16P votes).There are 18 votes for "Many learned words have new word combinations" as the answer related to word formation.
In short, the phenomenon of synonymy and polysemy still takes the most attention from students in the process of learning English vocabulary.
2.5 The result from the relationship between the presence of synonyms and English tests
Question 5: In English tests in class, what have you noticed?
The relationship between the presence of synonyms and English tests
The relationship between the presence of synonyms and English tests
Column 5 shows how synonyms affect English tests This time the number of votes for the phenomenon of synonymy was completely overwhelming (38 votes, 40 votes and
14 votes) compared to the phenomenon of polysemy (30 votes).
This can be explained as follows: in question 4, answer "Many words have the same meaning but cannot always be substituted for eachother" is an additional answer added by the students themselves, not in the answers initially given by the survey. Meanwhile, in question 5, this answer has been included as the default answer.
In this chart we will compare answers related to the phenomenon of synonymy The answer "Many words have the same meaning but cannot always be substituted for each other" holds the largest number of votes (40 votes) The content of this answer shows the importance of learning synonyms for correct word usage Because synonyms are divided into many types, many words are synonymous with each other,but depending on the context, their connotation in the sentence will change.The answer "Many words with the same meaning but different word combinations" has the synonym is common in verbs Even though they represent the same movement, the way they are performed will be different.
2.6The result from attention to synonyms in the process of looking up English vocabulary
Question 6:When looking up English vocabulary, what do you usually do?
Look at the meaning of the word
See how the word is used in sentences
See its synonyms See its word types
Attention to synonyms in the process of looking up English vocabulary
Attention to synonyms in the process of looking up English vocabulary
Chart 6 shows the level of interest of students in synonyms when looking up English vocabulary It's no wonder that the highest votes go to "look at the meaning of the word" and "see how the word is used in sentences", because that's what everyone does when looking up words
Starting from the answer with the 3rd highest number of votes "see its synonyms", many students explained the reason of this choice:
"I also consider synonyms when choosing words for a sentence or phrase as they can provide additional nuance or describe an idea better than a single word could alone.";
"I also try to find synonyms for the word so that I have an idea of what other words are related to it or might replace it if needed.";
"I usually look at the meaning of the word, see how it is used in sentences, and try to figure out its usage patterns by studying other words that have similar meanings.";
"I also pay attention to synonyms that may be related to the word's meaning for more nuanced understanding of its usage.";
"Seeing synonyms are also useful because knowing what words mean in different contexts helps me know which one would be appropriate for my sentence.";
"Sometimes I also try to find synonyms for that word so I can have a better idea of what other words are related to it.";
"It's really helpful to know when something has different meanings depending on where you use it And if there are any other words that can be used instead of the one I'm looking for."
Thus, we can see that learning synonyms is really meaningful for many students' English vocabulary learning and they really search for it purposefully.
2.7 The result from problems when looking up Vietnamese - English vocabulary are indirectly related to understanding synonyms
Question 7:When looking up Vietnamese-English vocabulary, how do you usually choose word?
Problems When Looking Up Vietnamese - English Vocabulary Are Indirectly Related To Understanding Synonyms
Choose the first word suggested Choose one of the suggested words at random Check word usage before choos- ing
Look up the whole sentence instead of looking up the word
Through the survey results displayed in chart 7, we can see a habit that nearly half of the students often do when looking up Vietnamese - English vocabulary that really needs to change: "choose the first word suggested" (46%- 26 students) When we look up Vietnamese - English vocabulary, we often encounter the phenomenon of relative understanding of vocabulary to be able to choose the right word that fits the context in your sentence.
Many students believe that the first suggestion is usually correct This is not necessarily wrong, but to make sure you don't choose the wrong word and cause the original meaning you want to express to change, checking the usage of the words in the sentence before choosing is indispensable.
Looking up whole sentences is a good idea, but it won't help you remember words or understand how they function in sentences.
To remember, understand and use synonyms correctly is a process that requires a lot of effort and time to experience and research In fact, even people born and raised in that language environment are not really able to use synonyms fluently, but failure teaches success, no effort is in vain, so don't be afraid to try.
2.8 The result from how each student learns synonyms
Question 8+9:How do you learn synonyms?
How each student learns synonyms
You learn English synonyms through
The results of piechart 8 show that nearly half of the students tend to learn English synonyms unconsciously Why did I choose to answer "unconsciously" and
"consciously" instead of "passively" and "actively"? Firstly, synonyms are an inherent part of vocabulary, so they can appear anywhere there is vocabulary, not only English, but also every language has synonyms.Therefore, we may accidentally come across them in the process of studying or communicating and unconsciously remember them or realize that certain words we know have the same meaning Sometimes we will substitute them for each other to avoid repetition That learning process happened naturally to adapt to improving language skills.This is completely different from passive learning (doing it because of other people's orders).Second, in the opposite case, learning consciously means learning with purpose, being aware of your learning.Furthermore, the majority of people surveyed were high school students, so it can be explained why the number of people who learn synonyms unconsciously compared to those who learn consciously or combine the two is so different
Column chart 9 is the result of a survey of students' sources for learning synonyms,and also shows the number of people who know about the English synonym dictionaryThesaurus.Most students learn English synonyms through an English dictionary (48 votes) because it would be convenient if, while looking up vocabulary, they can also see synonyms The second most popular source of synonyms is Google search (40 votes) This source is very popular because of its convenience and versatility.The 3rd available and accessible.Thesaurus thesaurus only ranked 4th with 16 votes This source is probably quite unfamiliar to students Only a small portion of the people surveyed, including those who consciously learn synonyms, know and use this dictionary.The source of synonyms from other English learners is so similar; Meanwhile, synonym sources from social networks are mainly chosen by people who learn English synonyms unconsciously.
2.9 The result from benefits of learning synonyms
Question 10: In your opinion, how does learning synonyms contribute to your English learning?
Significant contributions from learning synonyms
Significant contributions from synonym learning
In column chart 10, looking at it objectively, no one will vote for the answer
FINDING AND DISCUSSION
Recommended tool for using Synonyms
Synonym dictionaries have a long history The word 'thesaurus' was used in 1852 by Peter Mark Roget for his Roget's Thesaurus.
While some works called "thesauri", such as Roget's Thesaurus, group words in a hierarchical hypernymic taxonomy of concepts, others are organized alphabetically or in some other way.
Most thesauri do not include definitions, but many dictionaries include listings of synonyms.
Some thesauri and dictionary synonym notes characterize the distinctions between similar words, with notes on their "connotations and varying shades of meaning". Some synonym dictionaries are primarily concerned with differentiating synonyms by meaning and usage Usage manuals such as Fowler's Dictionary of Modern English Usage or Garner's Modern English Usage often prescribe appropriate usage of synonyms.
Writers sometimes use thesauri to avoid repetition of words – elegant variation – which is often criticized by usage manuals: "Writers sometimes use them not just to vary their vocabularies but to dress them up too much".
A thesaurus is no different than any other reference book It’s a treasure trove of information; words cataloged with a librarian’s exactness to help writers compose the best phrase to express their ideas In fact, the word thesaurus comes from the Greek thesaurus, meaning “a treasury or storehouse.” But like any treasure, the value we derive from it doesn’t come from squandering it It comes from using it wisely.
*Key considerations when using Thesaurus
Know the minor differences between synonyms
Every word has a connotation and a denotation, and it is important to take both into account before adding a new word to your paper A denotation is the literal definition of the word A connotation is an idea or feeling that a word evokes aside from its literal definition Example: The thesaurus.com search for "good" yields the following results: Acceptable, excellent and satisfying All of these have very different connotations For instance, "the meal was excellent" and "the meal was satisfying" are both very different statements, due to the words' connotation "Excellent" connotes the idea that the meal was far better than expected, while "satisfying" connotes more of a feeling of fullness after the meal.
Avoid using a thesaurus to simply find an interchangeable word Use it to build your vocabulary!
According to thesaurus.com, very few words are actually interchangeable You should ideally reach for a thesaurus when you have a word in mind but can't seem to recall it or when you're thinking of a word with an accurate denotation but are seeking a synonym that connotes something different That being said, a thesaurus is still a great tool for varying up your diction As long as you take the nuances of each word into account, you will likely be able to find a better word than the one you chose.
Pay attention to the part of speech of each word.
Many words have a few different meanings, and a thesaurus search yields results for all of them It is important to look at the part of speech (adjective, verb, noun etc.) of the word you choose before adding it to your paper The part of speech will often give you a clue as to whether or not the synonym matches your use of the word.
Example: Thesaurus.com provides the example of the word "abandoned," which means both "deserted" and, less often, "bad." This distinction is very important when choosing an appropriate substitution, because "deserted" can be used as both a verb and an adjective, whereas "bad" can only be used as an adjective.
Using a wide variety of words to get your point across will make your paper much more readable and interesting It will also help you communicate with your audience more clearly A thesaurus, when properly used, can be a great resource for accomplishing this!
Thesaurus: The online Thesaurus helps you find synonyms by listing words with similar meanings.
Visual Thesaurus: This amazing tool makes visual maps around the meaning of words.
It is fascinating and so practical to see how word meanings are related.
Power Thesaurus: If you are looking for another online thesaurus, this is a brilliantly simple tool for you For each word, the website gives you a list of synonyms and tells you how closely related the meanings are.This tool is also available as an app for iPhone and Android.
Business Thesaurus: If you are looking for words that are used in business, this Thesaurus is a nice tool It only shows you synonyms as a list without any further information about the words, so it is useful if you need to look up synonyms quickly at work.
Merriam Webster Thesaurus: This online tool is a practical tool to find alternative words in English It is a detailed tool that categorizes alternative words based on meaning You can get more information about the words and phrases as well as example sentences instead of only a list of words.
This is my favorite online English dictionary You can find out how to say words correctly, what they mean, or you can read examples Its special category for business words is useful if you want to learn words in a business context.
2.3 Collocation Dictionary to find English synonyms
Writefull:This tool is especially useful for writing at work One of my favorite features is that you can see how synonyms are used in context in real texts You can also compare two synonyms and see which one fits better in context.
Collocation Dictionary: Some words go together naturally.If you want to find an alternative word for ‘bad’, a serious problem sounds better than a poor problem How do you know which words go well together? Collocations!A collocation dictionary shows you words in context.If you use common word combinations (collocations), you will sound more natural in English.
Grammarly is a practical grammar-checking tool that helps you with your English writing and grammar The tool edits all of your written work and checks for grammar and spelling mistakes
Professionals worldwide use Grammarly to check their emails and other important documents.
Recommendations
In fact, learningSynonyms is a learning method that many people apply in their foreign language learning process, not just English Synonyms are very accessible, you can find them in everyday conversations or come across them through an article posted online, but the time students spend learning them the most is when they learn them the most It's time to look up new words Therefore, the more you read, the more you speak, the more you write in English, the more your vocabulary will improve At the same time, you will also realize that many of the words you learn are synonymous, but want to use them To be effective, you have to be very careful to put them where they belong To do that, always remember to check word usage before using it.
"The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug." -Mark Twain
CONCLUSION
Overview of the study
The purpose of this study was to assist Vietnamese students in effectively applying synonyms to learning English vocabulary This study consists of 5 parts.
Part I is an introduction to the study It introduces readers to basic information about the reason for doing this thesis, how to do it and the purpose of doing it.
Part II is the study's development section, which consists of two chapters The first chapter provides a theoretical overview as well as detailed information on synonyms. This is a case study that includes definitions and procedures This research's techniques, such as data collection and analysis, can be found information in here. Chapter 2 contains information about this study.
Part III is a detailed examination of the collected data Two 11-question survey questionnaires (English and Vietnamese versions) for students were created, the results explored and presented in this section by data analysis It is clear that students understand the importance of learning synonyms 50 students are aware of the impact of synonyms on learning English vocabulary 40 students realized that synonyms cannot always be used interchangeably 36 students are interested in synonyms when looking up new words Many students are aware of their presence in English tests. More than 20 students learn synonyms consciously with a clear purpose 100% of students agree that learning synonyms makes a significant contribution to understanding correct word usage and improving expression in speaking and writing.
In addition, the implications for expanding vocabulary and understanding of different cultures are also highly appreciated.
Part IV summarizes the collected results, analyzes them, and makes suggested solutions and recommendations based on the previously collected data.
The final section is a synopsis of the preceding sections and chapters This is also the section where you will draw conclusions, discuss pedagogical implications, and make suggestions for future research.
Limitation of the study
Although the study has some strong points, such as data collection methods and student survey questionnaires, it is clear that the study has a number of shortfalls due to time constraints, a lack of source information, the researcher's ability, and other unanticipated factors To begin with, the researcher was unable to conduct other methods, such as classroom observation, due to time constraints and, to some extent,experience, which could have made the obtained results more reliable
Despite the limitations, I hope that this exploratory study will encourage Vietnamese students to apply synonyms to improve their vocabulary and expression.
Suggestions for further studies
The study's findings are expected to provide guidance to synonyms usage for Vietnamese students Because it only focuses on students, this study cannot address all aspects of the problem
First, due to its many limitations, the author only used survey questionnaires in this study As a result, future researchers can use more other methods to increase authenticity, such as observation, interviews, and checking Next, for comparison purposes, researchers can also extend the survey object; for example, compare two classes.
In general, the research has limitations, but it was completed with the assistance of the supervisor and hes own efforts With the limitations listed above, I hope that more in- depth studies on methods to improve English vocabulary and expression will be conducted to assist Vietnamese students in overcoming challenges in learningEnglishvocabularymore easily It is hoped that this research will be useful to many students.
1 Nguyen Manh Hung senior lecturer, Hanoi University, English department, 2014.An Insight into English Lexicology,82–93.
2 PRESSES UNIVERSITAIRES FRANCOIS RABELAIS - 2006 La negationformes, figures, conceptualisation, 427–443
3 AI and the LinkedIn community, 2024.How can you incorporate synonyms into your copywriting effectively?
5 Erika Tan, 2019 The power of synonyms: the good, the bad, and the in-between
6 Brian Thomas.Proper usage of a Thesaurus, 1
7 Amy Paige.Synonym Definition: What are Synonyms and How to use them?
QUESTIONNAIRE FOR STUDENTS (ENGLISH VERSION)
QUESTIONNAIRE FOR STUDENTS (ENGLISH VERSION)
The Survey On Applying Synonyms To Learning English Vocabulary
This is a small survey on the application of synonyms in learning English vocabulary to complete my research I hope you participate in the survey to help me complete the research Sincerely thank!
1 How long you been learning English?
A 3-5 years B 5-7 years C More than 7 years
2 How is your English level?
3 In the process of learning English, grammar and vocabulary, which part do you find more difficult?
4 When learning English vocabulary, what have you noticed?
[ ]Many new words are synonyms of words you have already learned
[ ] Many new words are words you know but their meaning or usage has changed [ ] Many words you have learned that you have used incorrectly
[ ] Many learned words have new word combinations or others
5 In English tests in class, what have you noticed?
[ ]Many words are synonymous with words you have learned
[ ] Many words you know but the meaning in the sentence changes
[ ] Many words have the same meaning but cannot always be substituted for each other[ ]Many words with the same meaning but differ in word combinations
6 When looking up English vocabulary, what do you usually do?
[ ]Look at the meaning of the word
[ ] See how the word is used in sentences
7 When looking up Vietnamese-English vocabulary, how do you usually choose word?
A Choose the first word suggested
B Choose one of the suggested words at random
C Check word usage before choosing
D Look up the whole sentence instead of looking up the word
8 How do you learn synonyms?
9 You learn English synonyms through:
[ ] Looking up the English dictionary
[ ] Looking up Thesaurus English synonyms dictionary
10 In your opinion, how does learning synonyms contribute to your English learning?
[ ] Expressing coherently with plenty of word choices
11 In your opinion, are the negation of a word and its antonym synonymous?
A Absolutely yes B Absolutely no C Maybe yes maybe no
Thank you for your support!
QUESTIONNAIRE FOR STUDENTS (VIETNAMESE VERSION)
Khảo sát về việc áp dụng từ đồng nghĩa vào việc học từ vựng tiếng Anh Đây là một khảo sát nhỏ về việc ứng dụng từ đồng nghĩa trong việc học từ vựng tiếng Anh để hoàn thiện nghiên cứu của mình Rất mong các bạn tham gia khảo sát để giúp mình hoàn thành nghiên cứu Xin chân thành cảm ơn!
1 Bạn học tiếng Anh được bao lâu?
2 Trình độ tiếng Anh của bạn thế nào?
3 Trong quá trình học tiếng Anh, ngữ pháp và từ vựng, phần nào bạn thấy khó hơn?
4 Khi học từ vựng tiếng Anh bạn nhận thấy điều gì?
[ ]Nhiều từ mới là từ đồng nghĩa với những từ bạn đã học
[ ] Nhiều từ mới là những từ bạn biết nhưng nghĩa hoặc cách sử dụng đã thay đổi [ ]Nhiều từ bạn đã học nhưng bạn đã dùng sai
[ ]Nhiều từ đã học có sự kết hợp từ mới
5 Trong các bài kiểm tra tiếng Anh trên lớp, bạn nhận thấy điều gì?
[ ]Nhiều từ đồng nghĩa với những từ bạn đã học
[ ] Nhiều từ bạn biết nhưng nghĩa trong câu lại thay đổi
[ ]Nhiều từ có cùng nghĩa nhưng không phải lúc nào cũng có thể thay thế cho nhau [ ]Nhiều từ có cùng nghĩa nhưng khác nhau về cách kết hợp từ
6 Khi tra cứu từ vựng tiếng Anh bạn thường làm gì?