Helping students use some tips while doing exercises about synonyms and antonyms in the national high school graduation exam

1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Reason for choosing the research Nowadays, in Vietnam, English is used more and more widely It brings us chances to keep up with the development of the modern age Therefore, teaching and learning English, especially at upper secondary schools play a very important role In any languages, vocabulary is considered one of the most essential elements of language We can hardly use grammar appropriately if we not comprehend the meaning exactly So poor knowledge of English vocabulary can effect both the learning and teaching of English Thus, it is necessary to apply new methods of teaching and learning to improve the situation Synonyms and antonyms are categorized into English vocabulary According to the current national high school graduation exam questions, multiple choice questions related to this section account for about 14% (about sentences out of 50 multiple choice questions including questions about synonyms and some antonyms in the closest and opposite meaning as well as in the reading comprehension) Besides, understanding and using antonyms and synonyms effectively can improve our writing skills and vocabulary knowledge However, this part of the knowledge has not been regularly taught and revised like other vocabulary sections Therefore, in this study, I would like to give some suggestions for using synonyms and antonyms effectively The effort of this study is to try to give some contribution to improve the quality of teaching English at high schools by “Helping students use some tips while doing exercises about synonyms and antonyms in the national high school graduation exam” 1.2 Aims and objectives of the study 1.2.1 Aims - To study the principles in teaching synonyms and antonyms - To investigate the causes of difficulties that teachers and students are facing with teaching and learning synonyms and antonyms, so that teachers can helpstudents to enhance their overall command of language in order to answer synonyms and antonyms questions in the national high school graduation exam - To designsome exercises about synonyms and antonyms from class 12 English book and introduce examples of synonyms and antonyms in the multiple choice test recently - To increase the effectiveness in teaching and learning English and help students to get good scores in the nationalhigh school graduation exam 1.2.2 Objectives The study is carried out to answer the following questions: - What are synonyms and antonyms? - Principles in teaching synonyms and antonyms - Designing some exercises about synonyms and antonyms from class 12 English book - Examples of synonyms and antonyms in the multiple choice test recently 1.3 Scope of the study In teaching English vocabulary, synonyms and antonyms are large sections Within the scope of this study, I would like to focus on designing some exercises about synonyms and antonyms from class 12 English book As time is limited, the survey is carried out on a small scale to 12 th form students: 12A4, 12A7 in the school year 2018 – 2019 1.4 Method of the study In order to carry out this study, it is mainly based on the data and information collected from surveys, observation and direct interviews from my colleagues It is also based on a number of reference books about the use of synonyms and antonyms in teaching English Furthermore, my actual teaching at Dang Thai Mai high school provides the great practical contribution to the study 1.5 New points of the study Synonyms and antonyms are important parts of teaching and learning English vocabulary Many experience initiatives of the authors have mentioned effective vocabulary teaching methods, but no author has ever studied on synonyms and antonyms in detail Especially, in this study, I design some exercises about synonyms and antonyms from class 12 English book and introduce examples of synonyms and antonyms in the multiple choice test recently as tips for students while doing exercises about synonyms and antonyms in the national high school graduation exam CONTENTS 2.1.Theoretical background 2.1.1 Definition of synonyms According to language dictionaries, synonyms are words that have similar meanings Synonyms are divided into two categories: complete synonyms and incomplete synonyms The first is the words with the same meaning, used equally and can be substituted for each other in most cases The second type are words that mean the same thing but still differ somewhat in expressive nuances (expressing emotions, attitudes ) or ways of acting When using these words, we must consider the options reasonably.[1] 2.1.2.Definition of antonyms Antonyms are contradictory words Similar to synonyms, we also have two types of antonyms that are completely antonyms and incompletely ones From the above concepts, there are some points we need to note as follows: Whether the words are considered to be synonymous or completely opposite, there are differences between them and cannot be used in lieu of each other in case Therefore, in addition to teaching and learning the meaning of words, we need to pay attention to the context in which synonyms or antonyms can be used.[1] 2.1.3 Principles in teaching synonyms and antonyms Due to the time constraints, I only included in this section some principles of teaching synonyms and antonyms that I have applied and found them effective The first principle: All teachers' instructions must be detailed, clear and specific If the instructions are not specific and generic, students will not know how to perform their tasks and the task is easy to fail The most important part of this section is to guide students to find resources to look up synonyms and antonyms and quick and effective ways to look up The main source is English-English dictionaries and dictionaries specializing in synonyms and antonyms Students can look up dictionaries with printouts or dictionaries on the internet The quick way to look up for compound words not in the dictionary is to look up from the root, then determine the definition of the same word prefix, its suffix.[2] The second principle: Get students centered, boldly assign tasks to groups of students to learn about synonyms and antonyms in specific lessons This principle helps students take the initiative, actively participate in the lesson and help develop their teamwork skills and presentation skills Assigning the study of synonyms and antonyms in a certain lesson to students causes students to brainstorm, actively embark on a task and thereby actively memorize vocabulary The work assigned to the student group will ease the pressure In addition, students can also support and help each other to complete the task The presentation part can be spoken in Vietnamese or English, depending on the choice of the groups, which helps develop the presentation skills.[2] The third principle: Focus on monitoring the progress of groups, compare and evaluate results Monitoring the progress of each group will help teachers evaluate and comment more accurately on the results of each group In addition, teachers can promptly provide appropriate help for disadvantaged groups Comparing, comparing and evaluating the results of each group of students or even each student in the group will create more motivation for them to try to complete their tasks.[2] The fourth principle: Teachers play a major role in synthesizing, modifying, and supplementing the results of groups After the results of the groups have been evaluated, they need to be fully integrated, edited and supplemented before the teacher returns the final product to the students This is the period when teachers play a key role to ensure that they provide adequate and accurate knowledge to their students.[2] The fifth principle: Regular checks, comments and evaluations that each individual student uses the knowledge of synonyms, in contrast, learns to speak and write English This is the principle of "learning with practice", to encourage students to use the knowledge they already have in speaking and writing production skills This must be done regularly to form a habit of using a student's foreign language.[2] 2.2 The status of problem 2.2.1 Students, their background and learning conditions The informants for the study consists of 82 students in the twelveth form (age 17-18) from two classes 12A4 and 12A7, and teachers of English at Dang Thai Mai High School The first reason for my selection is that my selected participants are accessible All these students have learnt English for more than four years at secondary schools as they started to learn English when they were in grade Most of them have got familiar with teaching and learning methods at middle level The second reason is our awareness of the completeness and reliability of the data collected We must be well-informed about the real situation of teaching and adapting English vocabulary at our school In addition, the main method used was the VocabularyTranslation Method The students may be good at learning by heart English vocabulary but they can not use them effectively in the multiple choice tests 2.2.2 Teachers and their working condition Most teachers in the survey are female aged from twenty- six to forty They have been teaching English for at least three years They usually teach classes with 39 to 45 students and each of them is in charge of three or four classes Meanwhile, teaching facilities are poor and backward Therefore, the main teaching material of the teachers is the textbook for students Teachers sometimes have difficulties in designing exercises about synonyms and antonyms from English book It can be found that the teachers have to work hard but the results seem not to be satisfactory This is a great problem 2.2.3 Analysis of the data There is a quick questionnaire designed for students from two classes 12A4 and 12A7 to gather necessary information about using synonyms and antonyms to exercises Students are encouraged to express their own opinions about their ability to apply synonyms and antonyms in the multiple choice tests This data is collected from students: Student s total 82 Know how to exercises about synonyms and antonyms 30 (36,6%) Have difficulties in doing exercises about synonyms and antonyms 22 (26,8%) Impossible to distinguish synonyms from antonyms 30 (36,6%) Table 1: Analysis of the data collected from students before applying the research It can be seen from the table that only 36,6% know how to exercises about synonyms and antonyms to practise fluently whereas 26,8% find it difficult 36,6% say they are impossible to distinguish synonyms from antonyms The following data is the result of the multiple choice test in the first semester before applying the research: Class 12A4 12A7 Number of students 39 43 Excellentgood (%) 35 30 Average (%) 40 50 Weak (bad) (%) 25 20 Table 2: Analysis of the data collected from the result of the multiple choice test in the first semester before applying the research: These figures show that it is really necessary to change the way to teach new vocabulary so that students are able to practise effectively 2.3 Designing some exercises about synonyms and antonyms from class 12 English book The design of the exercises is a teacher's duty to after each knowledge section is taught in the classroom Although it is a common task, there are some things we need to pay attention to Firstly, the design of the exercise must ensure learning what to and practice it This is to ensure the effectiveness of the exercises we create Secondly, the types of exercises that are designed must be diverse and rich with many levels from easy to difficult This helps to accommodate different student groups and inspires students 2.3.1 Matching exercises This is an easy exercise Students only need to remember the knowledge they have learned to be able to complete this part Unit 1: Home Life (Page 12) [3] Exercise Match the word in column A with its synonyms in colum B Column A brothers/sisters base wash the clothes rule topic wait information note down collect 10 annoy Answer key: Exercise 1: i f j e Column B a write down b theme c regulation d irritate e data f foundation g gather h the laundry i siblings j hold on/ hang on h a c g b 10 d Exercise Match the word in column A with its antonyms in colum B Column A Column B supportive a neglect willing b depressed obedient c ban take care of d critical happy e indifferent allow f at a loose end hard-working g costly busy h reluctant cheap i naughty 10 interested j idle Answer key: Exercise 2: d h i a b e c j f 10 g Unit 2: Cultural Diversity (Page 20) [3] Exercise Match the word in column A with its synonyms 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 Answer key: Exercise 3: e g i a h k f c b 10 d Exercise Match the word in column A with its antonyms in colum 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 Answer key: Exercise 4: 1.f 6.b k c a 8.d h e i 10.g Unit 3: Ways of socializing (Page 30) [3] Exercise Match the word in column A with its synonyms in colum B Column A Column B suitable obvious choice polite buy stick to kind-hearted interesting serious 10 color Answer key: Exercise 5: e i a apparent b good-natured c severe d purchase e appropriate f gripping g hue h option i be loyal to k courteous a b h f k c d 10 g Exercise Match the word in column A with its antonyms in colum B Column A Column B get off a take a call modern b prohibitten leave a message c politeness make a call d maximum acceptable e get on discourtesy f body language minimum g reveal verbal language h take a message conceal i failure 10 success k old-fashioned Answer key: Exercise 6: 1.e c k d h 8.f a g b 10 I 2.3.2 Odd one out exercises In this form, students must recognize a word that does not have the same meaning or antonym to the remaining words To this exercise, students must remember groups of synonyms or antonyms Unit 1: Home Life (Page 12) [3] Exercise 1: 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 hobby, interest, perseverance, taste 10 task, complement, duty, mission Answer key: Exercise 1: daily tasks space owe frequently eliminate creative ruin perserverance gentleman 10 complement Unit 2: Cultural Diversity (Page 20) [3] Exercise 2: Find one word that is different in meaning from the others idea, view, point of view, opinion, objection love sb, fall in love with sb, interfere with sb, fall with sb, take to sb choose, select, opt, pick out, reckon, decide on, agree on conduct a survey, make a survey, carry out a survey, cancel a survey main, key, primary, vicious, major, core famous, well-known, renowned, excessive, celebrated, notable, pretigious take part in, participate in, result in, engage in, join, attend however, nevertheless, on the contrary, additionally, by contrast, controversially rich, wealthy, middle-class, well-off, affluent 10 dangerous, disastrious, hazardous, perilous, risky Answer key: Exercise 2: objection interfere with sb reckon cancel a survey vicious excessive result in additionally middle-class 10 disastrious Unit 3: Ways of socializing (Page 30) [3] Exercise 3: Find one word that is different in meaning from the others terrible, awful, dreadful, accessible problem, difficulty, trouble, amenity, obstacle argument, appointment, row, quarrel beginning, provision, start, rudiment hate, detest, spark, loathe, dislike friend, colleague, mate, pal, company big, huge, giant, skeptical, mighty, gigantic, bulky like, enjoy, love, fancy, adore, detect mistake, error, fault, apology 10 attack sb’s attention, get sb’s attention, distract sb’s attention, catch sb’s attention Answer key: Exercise 3: accessible colleague amenity skeptical appointment detect provision apology spark 10 distract sb’s attention 2.3.3 Multiple choice exercises This exercise requires students to identify synonyms or antonyms in some options Exercise: 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 In many cultures, the mother is usually the homemaker while the father is the breadwinner A the family member who is willing to share the domestic chores B the family member who likes bread C the family member who is responsible for childcare 10 D the family member who earns money to support the family 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 She got up late and rushed to the bus stop A came into B went leisurely C went quickly D dropped by It will take more or less a month to prepare for the wedding A approximately B generally C frankly D.appreciatively 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 Although I live in London for one year, I’m not used to driving on the left A accustomed B familiar C looking forward D supportive 10 Quan Ho singing, a traditional kind of music, originated in Bac Ninh Province in the 13th century A launched B took its origin C initiated D appeared Answer key: B A D C A D C A A 10 B 2.3.4 Replacement exercises Doing this exercise, students must remember not only the meaning but also the way to write synonyms and antonyms and rewrite these words Exercise: 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 Andrea can’t wait for her flight In an extended family, three or even four generations live in one home She complimented me on my new shirt Members of our family have very close relationships with each other Could you please look after the baby while I’m away? My parents seldom allow telling lies in my family 10 A survey was made to determine their attitudes toward love and marriage 11 Answer key: work together paid me a nice compliment made an apology get on very well our share of keep an eye on look forward to rarely/lying joint family/ under the same roof 10 find out 2.3.5 Paraphrasing exercises This is a synthetic exercise, students have to rewrite sentences using synonyms and similar structures Exercise: Paraphrase the following sentences I’m 28 years old She is a doctor in a local hospital There are four people in my family I help my mother with some housework such as cleaning the house and taking out the garbage 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 10 You had better not take calls during meal time Answer key: I’m an 28-year-old girl I’m in my late twenties She works as physician in a local hospital I come from a family of four people I was born into a family of four people 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 10 You are advised not to take calls when having meals 2.4 Examples of synonyms and antonyms in the multiple choice test recently Example 1: The national high school graduation examin 2015 – No 194 [4] 12 Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word(s) CLOSEST in meaning to the underlined word(s) in each of the following questions Question 25: When Susan invited us to dinner, she really showed off her culinary talents She prepared a feast – a huge selection of dishes that were simply mouth - watering A having to with food and cooking B involving hygienic conditions and diseases C relating to medical knowledge D concerning nutrition and health Question 26: Suddenly, it began to rain heavily, so all the summer hikers got drenched all over A cleansed B completely wet C very tired D refreshed Question 27: “It’s no use talking to me about metaphysics It’s a closed book to me.” A a subject that I don’t understand B a theme that I like to discuss C a book that is never opened D an object that I really love 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 43: "Don't be such a pessimist I'm sure you'll soon get over it Cheer up!" A activist B hobbyist C optimist D feminist Question 44: "Be quick! We must speed up if we don’t want to miss the flight " A turn down B look up C slow down D put forward Answer key: 25 A 26 B 27 A 43 C 44 C Example 2: The national high school graduation exam in 2016 – No 168 [5] Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word(s) CLOSEST in meaning to the underlined word(s) in each of the following questions Question 25: Not until all their demands had been turned down did the workers decide to go on strike for more welfare A rejected B sacked C reviewed D deleted Question 26: Environmentalists appeal to the government to enact laws to stop factories from discharging toxic chemicals into the sea A releasing B producing C obtaining D dismissing Question 27: The overall aim of the book is to help bridge the gap between theory and practice, particularly in language teaching A increase the understanding B reduce the differences C minimise the limitations D construct a bridge 13 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 43: It is widely known that the excessive use of pesticides is producing a detrimental effect on the local groundwater A useless B harmless C damaging D fundamental Question 44: His dreamlike villa in the new residential quarter is the envy of his friends A something that everybody looks for B something that everybody dreams of C something that nobody wants D something that nobody can afford Answer key: 25 A 26 A 27 B 43 B 44 C Example 3: The national high school graduation exam in 2017 – No 402 [6] 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 19: Today students are under a lot of pressure due to the high expectations from their parents and teachers A nervousness B emotion C stress D relaxation Question 20: Don't tell Jane anything about the surprise party for Jack She has got a big mouth A can't eat a lot B hates parties C talks too much D can keep secrets Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word(s) CLOSEST in meaning to the underlined word(s) in each of the following questions Question 21: The place has rapidly evolved from a small fishing community into a thriving tourist resort A developed B generated C created D increased Question 22: Many people left early because the film was uninteresting A exciting B informative C attractive D boring 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 35 to 42 The oceans are so vast and deep that until fairly recently, it was widely assumed that no matter how much trash and chemicals humans dumped into them, the effects would be negligible Proponents of dumping in the oceans even had a catchphrase: "The solution to pollution is dilution." Today, we need look no further than the New Jersey-size dead zone that forms each summer in the Mississippi River Delta, or the thousand-milewide swath of decomposing plastic in the northern Pacific Ocean to see that 14 this "dilution" policy has helped place a once flourishing ocean ecosystem on the brink of collapse There is evidence that the oceans have suffered at the hands of mankind for millennia But recent studies show that degradation, particularly of shoreline areas, has accelerated dramatically in the past three centuries as industrial discharge and run-off from farms and coastal cities have increased Pollution is the introduction of harmful contaminants that are outside the norm for a given ecosystem Common man-made pollutants reaching the oceans include pesticides, herbicides, chemical fertilizers, detergents, oil, sewage, plastics, and other solids Many of these pollutants collect at the ocean's depths, where they are consumed by small marine organisms and introduced into the global food chain Many ocean pollutants are released into the environment far upstream from coastlines Nitrogen-rich fertilizers applied by farmers inland, for example, end up in local streams, rivers, and groundwater and are eventually deposited in estuaries, bays, and deltas These excess nutrients can spawn massive blooms of algae that rob the water of oxygen, leaving areas where little or no marine life can exist Solid wastes like bags, foam, and other items dumped into the oceans from land or by ships at sea are frequently consumed, with often fatal effects, by marine mammals, fish, and birds that mistake them for food Discarded fishing nets drift for many years, ensnaring fish and mammals In certain regions, ocean currents corral trillions of decomposing plastic items and other trash into gigantic, swirling garbage patches One in the North Pacific, known as the Pacific Trash Vortex, is estimated to be the size of Texas Pollution is not always physical In large bodies of water, sound waves can carry undiminished for miles The increased presence of loud or persistent sounds from ships, sonar devices, oil rigs, and even from natural sources like earthquakes can disrupt the migration, communication, and reproduction patterns of many marine animals, particularly aquatic mammals like whales and dolphins (Source: http://www.oceannationalgeographic.com) Question 36 The word "negligible" in paragraph is closest in meaning to A serious B insignificant C unpredictable D positive Question 37 It can be inferred from paragraph that the "dilution" policy is related to A dealing with the problems of water pollution B helping the ecosystem of the oceans flourish C neglecting the effects of dumping trash into the oceans D treating harmful materials in the oceans properly Question 39 The word "spawn" in paragraph can be best replaced by 15 A appear Answer key: 19 D B prevent 20 D 21 A C produce 22 D 36 B D limit 37 C 39 C Example 4:The national high school graduation exam in 2018 – No 401 [7] Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word(s) CLOSEST in meaning to the underlined word(s) in each of the following questions Question 3: Thanks to highly sophisticated technology, scientists have made many important discoveries in different fields A accessible B confusing C effective D advanced Question 4: It is firmly believed that books are a primary means for disseminating knowledge and information A classifying B distributing C adopting D inventing 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 5: With price increases on most necessities, many people have to tighten their belt for fear of getting into financial difficulties A dress in loose clothes B spend money freely C save on daily expenses D put on tighter belts Question 6: Today the number of start-ups in Vietnam is mounting as the government has created favourable conditions for them to develop their business A peaking B varying C decreasing D rising Answer key: D B B C 2.5 Result after applying the research in teaching From this research study, it can be concluded that teachers and 12 th form students at Dang Thai Mai high school are aware of the role of synonyms and antonyms in teaching and learning vocabulary After applying the research, students have chance to express their own opinions about their ability to apply synonyms and antonyms to solve multiple questions This data is collected from students: Know how to Have difficulties in Impossible to Students exercises about doing exercises distinguish total synonyms and about synonyms and synonyms from antonyms antonyms antonyms 82 60(73,2%) 17(18,7%) (8,1%) 16 Table 3: Analysis of the data collected from students after applying the research These figures show that it is really necessary to have a change in applying some tips while dong exercises about synonyms and antonyms The following data is the result of from the result of the multiple choice test in the first semester after applying the research Class 10A7 10A9 Number of students 39 43 Excellentgood (%) 45 40 Average (%) 45 52 Weak (bad) (%) 10 Table 4: Analysis of the data collected from the result of the multiple choice test in the second semester after applying the research 17 CONCLUSION AND PROPOSAL 3.1 Conclusion From this research study, it can be concluded that teachers and 12 th form students at Dang Thai Mai high school are aware of the role of using synonyms and antonyms in teaching and learning vocabulary It is also seen from above that the students have different tips to exercises about synonyms and antonyms in the national high school graduation exam The findings of this research also reveal that it is essential to design some exercises about synonyms and antonyms from twelveth English book for students to practise regularly Nevertheless, because of limited time, knowledge, teaching experience, mistakes committed during the process of the study are unavoidable, I would be grateful to receive any comments on my study All comments and suggestions from other teachers and colleagues are highly appreciated 3.2 Proposal Due to the small scope of the study and the limitations of the knowledge and experience, this study can not cover all aspects of the matter In this study, I just focus on helping students use some tips while doing exercises about synonyms and antonyms As a consequence, I can have the following study orientations: - Other suggested ways to motivate students in practicing synonyms and antonyms multiple choice questions - Besides the research in using some tips while doing exercises about synonyms and antonyms, it can be applied for other exercises in the national high school graduation exam In conclusion, I hope that further studies will be carried out on other aspects of teaching English vocabulary in order to improve the quality of teaching and learning English at high schools I sincerely thank! The confirmation of the headmaster Thanh Hoa, May 20th 2019 I assure this is my own experience initiative, not copying the contents of otherpeople The writer Dao Thi Hong 18 REFERENCE BOOKS [1] Ho Ngoc Trung, Lectures on discourse analysis, HaNoi Open University [2] Lewis, M & Hill, J (1998), Practical Techniques for Language Teaching.England: Language Teaching Publications [3] Hoang Van Van (2011), English 12, Viet Nam: Education publisher [4] https://tuyensinh.dantri.com.vn/tuyen-sinh/mon-tieng-anh-de-thi-va-dap-anchinh-thuc-1436610302.htm [5] https://tuyensinh.dantri.com.vn/tuyen-sinh/mon-tieng-anh-de-thi-va-dap-anchinh-thuc-thptqg-2016-20160704160810776.htm [6] https://dantricdn.com/2017/tienganh-m402-1498373889004.pdf [7].https://dantricdn.com/2018/de-chinhthuc-tienganh-k18-m4011530096991917.pdf 19 LIST OF EXPERIENCE INITIATIVE WAS AWARDED Number Name of experience initiative Using visual aids to motivate the 10th form students in practising new grammar structures Ranked School year C 2016 – 2017 20 ... tips for students while doing exercises about synonyms and antonyms in the national high school graduation exam CONTENTS 2.1.Theoretical background 2.1.1 Definition of synonyms According to language... different tips to exercises about synonyms and antonyms in the national high school graduation exam The findings of this research also reveal that it is essential to design some exercises about synonyms. .. motivate students in practicing synonyms and antonyms multiple choice questions - Besides the research in using some tips while doing exercises about synonyms and antonyms, it can be applied for other