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11. LEXICAL AND SEMANTICAL FIELDS OF
ENGLISH.
1.INTRODUCTION.
Words are essential to communication. Everybody learns to speak in
isolated words and then we begin to use chains of words and verbs.
Students tend to pick up vocabulary first and then a framework in which
these words can be used.
At the same time that students learn vocabulary they must learn
phonetics and grammar.
Usually students have a problem with the vocabulary when they have
to use it in a context and also with words that don’t have the same meaning
as in their mother tongue.
For that reason, they must practice to assimilate them.
2.LEXICAL AND SEMANTIC FIELD.
We can identify two groups:
Lexical field: which refers to the formation of words.
Semantic field: which refers to the understanding of words.
3.LEXICAL FIELD.
To understand this subject, first I am going to explain what BASE
and STEM are, within the rules of word-formation.
BASE: is a form to which a rule of word-formation is applied.
STEM: is the part of the word that remaining after every affix has
been removed.
For example:
Base
Stem
Friendly
Friend
Friend
Unfriendly
Friendly
Friend
The STEM can be understood as the root of the word and the BASE
as the original part from which a mixture is made. Once a base has
undergone a rule of word-formation, the derived word itself may become
the base for another derivation.
For example:
“Unfriendliness”
Friend…………………………………………………… Noun
(Friend)-ly…………………………………………… Noun……………… Adjective
Un-((friend)-ly)…………………………………. Adjective……… Adjective
(Un-((friend)-ly))-ness…………………….. Adjective……... Noun
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The chief processes of English word-formation by which the base
may be modified are:
3.1. Affixation:
a) Prefixation
Adding a prefix to the base: happy---unhappy
-Types of prefixes.
Negative prefixes
Un-: unfair
Reversative prefixes
Dis-: discontent
Pejorative prefixes
Mis-: misinform
Prefixes of degree or size
Super-: supermarket
Prefixes of attitude
Anti-: anti-social
Locative prefixes
Sub-: subway
Prefixes of time and order
Pre-: precaution
Number prefixes
Tri-: trident
Conversion prefixes
En-: endanger
Other Prefixes
Vice-: vicepresident
b) Suffixation
Adding a suffix to the base: happy-----happily
-Types of suffixes.
1. Noun suffixes:
Occupational
-er: gangster
Diminutive or femenine
-ess: waitress
Status
-hood: childhood
Other noun suffixes
-ful: spoonful
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Noun/adjectives suffixes
-ese: Chinese
Deverbal suffixes
-er: driver
De-adjectival suffixes
-ee: employee
2. Verb suffixes:
-ify: simplify
-(ize): popularise
-en: sadden
3. Adjective suffixes:
Suffixes added to nouns
-ful: useful
Suffixes common in borrowed and neo-classical words
-ic: Arabic
Other adjective suffixes
-able: readable
4. Adverb suffixes:
-ly: happily
-ward (s): backwards
-wise: weatherwise
3.2. Compound words.
Adding one base to another: tea + pot= teapot.
1. Kinds of composition in the noun:
Subject + verb: playboy
Verb + object: storytelling
Verb + adverbial compounds: sun-bathing
Noun + noun compounds: frogman
Adjectives + noun: blackboard
Bahubrihi compounds: paperback
2. Kinds of composition in the verb:
Back-formation: housekeeper
Verb + adverb: outdo
3. Adjective compounds:
Object + -ing participle: heartbreaking
Verb + adverbial compounds: homemade
Verbless compounds: tax-free
Reduplicatives or repetition compounds: ping-pong
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4. SEMANTIC FIELD.
As I have said, the semantic field refers to the understanding of
words (homonyms, synonyms and antonyms).
4.1. Homonymy and Polysemy.
Homonymy is when a single word has different meanings not closely
related.
For example:
File - a box for keeping papers in order
- a tool for smoothing surfaces
- a line of persons or things one behind the other
We can find two classes of homonymy:
1. Homophones: are the words that show identity of pronunciation:
“no”---“know”
2. Homographs: are the words that have the same spelling: “saw
(noun)”----“saw (verb)”
- Homomorph is the term to refer to those words which share the
same morphological form, the same stem. This concept is relevant to
grammar: fast (adjective)—fast (adverb).
And, Polysemy is when a word has several different but closely
related meanings.
For example:
Branch - of a tree
- family
- railway line…
4.2. Synonymy.
Synonymy is the relationship between words that mean exactly the
same. It is a semantic relation.
For example:
Foggy---Misty
Fiddle----Violin
4.3. Antonymy.
Antonymy is when a word is opposite in meaning to another. For
example: better---worst
a) Complementaries: words that are incompatibles and there is no
possibility of a third lying between them: true---false
b) Multiple Incompatibles: Days, seasons, months… “It’s Monday”
excludes all other the days.
c) Gradable Antonyms: There are intermediate terms between
them: hot/ warm/ cool/ cold.
d) Converses: The words are reciprocal: husband---wife // father--son.
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5. FALSE FRIENDS.
We call false friend to a word that is similar to another in our
language.
For instance, Spanish students must pay attention to Latin fields
because they may change:
“Success”---éxito, not “suceso”
“Contamination”----infección, not “contaminación”----“pollution”
6. TEACHING VOCABULARY.
To learn vocabulary words, the teacher should pronounce the new
item, in association to the orthographic realization of the same and also to
teach it meaning.
The teacher also has to use the new word on a context to help
students assimilate this word with its meaning.
After this, student must try to use the new item, inserting it in a
context they think suitable to use it.
Finally, the student should use this word as many time as possible to
fix it in their minds.
There are some techniques in vocabulary teaching that may help
2.82.72.127students. These are the followings:
a) The use of visuals
Flashcards; blackboard; transparencies; “clock board”; labels;
magazine pictures; props; colour coding; classroom objects; posters…
b) The use of gestures
Students can gesture when describing adjectives as tall,…
c) The use of known vocabulary
The teacher can use synonyms and antonyms; categories; definitions…
to explain the new meanings.
7. CONCLUSION.
There are many different methods to teach vocabulary. These
methods depend on the level of the students and on the types of items we
want to teach them.
However, as the students advance in their learning process, their
needs become more and more important. For that reason, we must study
which are the most common fields that they would like to deal with in the
class.
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