Topic 11

Campos léxicos y semánticos en la lengua

inglesa. Léxico necesario para la socialización.
Table of Contents
Introduction
1. Semantic Structure
1.1. Semantic/lexical fields.
1.2. Sense relationships.
2. Socialization, information, and attitude expression
vocabulary.
3. Teaching vocabulary to young learners.
3.1. Principles for teaching vocabulary.
3.2. Classroom techniques and activities.
3.3. Learner-centred techinques.
4. Conclusion
Introduction
Semantics is the study of meaning in language.
From structuralist point of view, language is a network of
systematic relationships between units.
Our interest in semantics is with lexemes or semantic words.
 Walks, walking and walked are three different grammatical words.
However, for semantics these are instances of the same lexeme, the verb
walk.
 This abstraction from grammatical words to semantic words is familiar to
us from published dictionaries, where lexicographers use abstract entries.
 The inverse is also possible: several lexemes can be represented by one
phonological and grammatical word.
 a) He scored with his left foot.
 b) They made camp at the foot of the mountain.
 c) I ate a foot-long hot-dog.
1. Semantic/lexical fields.
Lexemes can be organised into a system, in which
these lexemes interrelate, and define each other in
specific ways.
An important organizational principle in the lexicon is
the lexical/semantic field. This is a group of lexemes
which belong to a particular activity or area of
specialist knowledge, such as terms in cooking or
sailing.
Some lexical/semantic fields are quite difficult to
organise.
Several attempts to classify the concepts in a
language. The most influential work has been Roget’s
Tesaurus (1852).
Roget divided the English vocabulary into 6 main
areas:
Abstract relations (numbers, order and time)
Space (movements, shapes, sizes)
Matter (perception of the world by means of senses)
Intellect, volition and affections (internal world of the
human being: human mind, human will, heart and soul).
This classification has been useful to many practical
linguistic activities, however it does not contain
information about the sense relationships between
individual lexemes.

The relationships between lexemes can be analysed

under two main headings:
Syntagmatic relationships: the tendency of lexemes to
work together or collocate in predictable ways.
Paradigmatic relationships: the way in which lexemes
can substitute for each other.
Synonyms: are two or more forms with closely related
meaning, which are often intersubstitutable in sentences.
Youth/adolescent
Automobile/car
Remember/recall
Purchase/buy
Two words are said to be true synonyms if they are
mutually interchangeable in all their environments. But it
is almost certainly the case that there are no total
synonyms in this sense.
 Deep deep
Sympathy But not Water
profound profound
 Antonymy: two forms with opposite meanings. Antonyms
are usually divided into two groups: gradable and non-
gradable.
 Gradable: such words as wide/narrow, old/young have
all in common that they may be seen in terms of the
degree of the quality involved.
Non-gradable: (complementary pairs): They are
members of two-set terms instead of multiple set terms
as in the case on graded antonyms. Negation of one of
terms implies the certainty of the other.
Dead/alive, male/female, married/single
Hyponymy:is the sense relation that we can establish
between two words when the sense of one of them includes
the sense of the other.
E.g. Tulip - flower
Homophony, homonymy and polysemy.
Homophony: two or more different (written) forms have the
same pronunciation.
 bare-bear
 meat - meet
 pail – pale
Homonymy: one form (written or spoken) has two or more
unrelated meanings. These are words which have quite
separate meaning, but which have accidentaly come to have
exacstly the same form.
 Bank (of the river) – bank (institution)
 Pupil (at school) – pupil (in the eye)
Polysemy: one form (written or spoken) having multiple
meanings which are all related by extension.
 Foot (of person, of bed , of mountain)
 Mouth (of person, of a cave).
2. Socialization, information, and attitude
expression vocabulary.
We will analyse the vocabulary our pupils need in
order to express themselves in common situations.
Socialization vocabulary:
Begin and end conversation: greetings, responses,
farewells, introductions/responses.
 How are you? Good bye! I am Mary.
Complimenting and congratulating:
 What a marvelous day! I am glad you like it. Well done! Thank
you.
Offering and thanking
 Would you like some…? Yes, please.
Apologising and regretting
 I am sorry!
Expressing condolence
 I am extremely sorry to hear this.
Expressing good whishes, seasonal greetings and toasts
 Good luck! Enjoy yourself!
Speaking on the phone
 Speaking! Is that Mary?
Information vocabulary
Questions and statements are the structures we typically use
to convey or ask for information. They do not need the use
of specific vocabulary (exception: interrogative pronouns).
Asking for opinion
Giving an opinion
Asking without giving an opinion
Expressing agreement and disagreement
Expressing partial or qualified agreement
Interrupting
Expressing collaboration and clarification
Expression of attitudes:
Volition
 I will do anything for you!
Likes and dislikes
 I love/hate.
Hope
 I hope to see you again.
Anticipation of pleasure
 I am looking forward to hearing from you again.
Regret
 I wish you were here.
Surprise
 What a surprise!
Concern
 I am concerned that…
Emotive emphasis
 Whoops! What a man!
3. Teaching vocabulary to young learners.

Vocabulary development is an important aspect of

language development. A variety of studies have
proven that appropriate vocabulary instruction benefits
language students.
3.1. Principles for teaching vocabulary
Emphasize both direct and indirect teaching:
 Direct instruction refers to teaching the words and their meanings.
Indirect instruction refers to helping children to learn strategies so
they can figure out the meaning of words on their own.
Teaching vocabulary before a new activity:
 Students benefit in two ways: 1) are able to comprehend the
activity in a better way 2) help students to acquire the target
vocabulary.
 This principle holds true for stories, songs, and other activities.
Teach how to use context clues appropriately:
 This is a strategy that learners can use when they encounter
unfamiliar words.
 Children also need to be taught that there are times when meaning
can’t be guessed from the context.
Present multiply exposures to a new vocabulary item:
 A new word should reappear many times and in different
situations.
 Multi-sensory vocabulary input.
Give appropriateness for deep processing of vocabulary
items teach students to use dictionaries:
 Working with information at a high cognitive and personal level.
It refers to using words in contexts which are especially
meaningful to the learner. This can involve grouping words
according to different characteristics or attributes.
Teach students to use dictionaries:
 Pre-primary kids: picture dictionaries where words are grouped
into different categories.
 3.2. Classroom techniques and activities.
 Connecting vocabulary to young learner’s lives through
personalisation.
 Whenever possible, questions should allow learners to relate the
words to their own lives.
 The questions should also help learners develop higher-order thinking
skills.
 Word for the day.
 Select a specific word you will focus on each day.
 Categories.
 Ask students to work with different word categories.
 Scavenger hunt.
 Students are asked to find a word in a textbook. They should use
their cognitive skills to decide which unit this words can be found in.
Translation
 It can be a very effective way of conveying the meaning. However, it
cannot be the main technique.
Spotting the difference
Picture dominoes
Are based on the associations our pupils may establish between
the objects appearing in cards.
Kim’s game
We show our pupils a picture or a tray with objects on it. They
have two minutes to memorize it and later to write or to say
what they saw.
Coffee pot
Is a word which is used instead of a particular verb. The rest of
the class must guess this verb.
Crosswords and Quizzes
 Crosswords can be devised round topic ideas. Quizzes can be used to
revise large amounts of vocabulary in a motivating way.
Word thermometers
 Are useful for indicating degree.

Concentration
Concentration games are played using cards and/or word
cards. There should be matching pictures, defintions, the
printed word, etc.
 3.3. Learner-centred techinques.
 Recent developments have emphasized the importance of
equipping our pupils with the necessary strategies for
dealing with skills activities. In learning vocabulary this
involves:

 Asking others in English.

 Using a dictionary.
 Deducing meaning pit of the context.
CONCLUSION
Teaching English to young learners is a very rewarding
experience as the methods used nowadays are
motivating and realistic. They are motivating because
they are thought for the proper age group. They are
realistic because the methods are based on English in
context.
The vocabulary development is a key for the reading
and writing process and it should be based on
motivation and reality.