SEMANTIC FIELDS AND EFL/ESL TEACHING
Main Article Content
Abstract
The vocabulary of a language is a system of interrelated lexical networks but not a collection of independent items. Vocabulary of a language is organised into fields within which words interrelate and define each other in various ways. Sense relations are not enough to explain the relation between some lexical items. For example, we cannot explain the relation between patient and hospital through synonymy, antonym, hyponymy, polysemy or homonymy, but we can say that they belong to the same semantic field which we can label as ‘health’. In this paper, semantic field also known as word field, lexical field, field of meaning, and semantic system is explained by giving supporting examples. Besides, some implications for Teaching English as a Foreign Language/Teaching English as a Second Language (TEFL/TESL) are suggested.Key words: Semantic fields, structural semantics, lexical network, lexical field, semantic system
Article Details
Issue
Section
Articles
Copyright by Informascope . Material published and so copyrighted may not be published elsewhere without the written permission of IOJET. No manuscript will be considered which has already been published or is being considered by another journal.
References
Aichison, J. (1987). Teach Yourself Linguistics. Suffolk: Hodder and
Stoughton Ltd.
Brinton, L. J. & Brinton, D. M. (2010). The Linguistic Structure of Modern
English. Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company.
Changhong, G. (2010). The Application of the Semantic Field Theory in
College English Vocabulary Instruction. Chinese Journal of Applied
Linguistics, 33(3), 51-51
Clark, H. H. and Clark, E. V. (1977). Psychology and Language. New
York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Inc.
Crystal, D. (1987). The Cambridge Encyclopaedia of Language.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Crystal, D. (1991). A Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics. London: T.J.
Press.
Crystal, D. (1992). An Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Language and
Languages. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers
Dyvik, H. (2005. Translations as a semantic knowledge source. In
Proceedings of the Second Baltic Conference on Human Language
Technologies. Tallinn, Estonia, 2005. Retrieved from
http://folk.uib.no/hfohd/TranslHLT.pdf
Graddol, D. et al. (1987). Describing Language. Philadelphia: Open
University Press.
Hurford, J. R., Heasley, B. & Smith, M. B. (2007). Semantics: a course
book. (2nd Ed.).
Nordquist, R. (2017). "Semantic Field Definition." ThoughtCo, Apr. 25,
2017, Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/semantic-field-
1692079
Nordquist, R. (2017). “What is Semantic Field Analysis?” ThoughtCo, Sep.
11, 2017 Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/semantic-field-
analysis-1691935
Lexical Semantics (2017, November). English Language and Linguistics
Online.Retrieved from
http://www.ello.uos.de/field.php/Semantics/SemanticsLexicalfields
Palmer, F. R. (1981). Semantics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Pan, Q. & Xu, R. (2011). Vocabulary Teaching in English Language
Teaching. Theory
and Practice in Language Studies, Vol. 1, No. 11, pp. 1586-1589.
Tanner, R. & Green, R. (1989). Tasks for Teacher Education: A reflective
approach. Harlow: Pearson Education Ltd.
Stoughton Ltd.
Brinton, L. J. & Brinton, D. M. (2010). The Linguistic Structure of Modern
English. Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company.
Changhong, G. (2010). The Application of the Semantic Field Theory in
College English Vocabulary Instruction. Chinese Journal of Applied
Linguistics, 33(3), 51-51
Clark, H. H. and Clark, E. V. (1977). Psychology and Language. New
York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Inc.
Crystal, D. (1987). The Cambridge Encyclopaedia of Language.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Crystal, D. (1991). A Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics. London: T.J.
Press.
Crystal, D. (1992). An Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Language and
Languages. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers
Dyvik, H. (2005. Translations as a semantic knowledge source. In
Proceedings of the Second Baltic Conference on Human Language
Technologies. Tallinn, Estonia, 2005. Retrieved from
http://folk.uib.no/hfohd/TranslHLT.pdf
Graddol, D. et al. (1987). Describing Language. Philadelphia: Open
University Press.
Hurford, J. R., Heasley, B. & Smith, M. B. (2007). Semantics: a course
book. (2nd Ed.).
Nordquist, R. (2017). "Semantic Field Definition." ThoughtCo, Apr. 25,
2017, Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/semantic-field-
1692079
Nordquist, R. (2017). “What is Semantic Field Analysis?” ThoughtCo, Sep.
11, 2017 Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/semantic-field-
analysis-1691935
Lexical Semantics (2017, November). English Language and Linguistics
Online.Retrieved from
http://www.ello.uos.de/field.php/Semantics/SemanticsLexicalfields
Palmer, F. R. (1981). Semantics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Pan, Q. & Xu, R. (2011). Vocabulary Teaching in English Language
Teaching. Theory
and Practice in Language Studies, Vol. 1, No. 11, pp. 1586-1589.
Tanner, R. & Green, R. (1989). Tasks for Teacher Education: A reflective
approach. Harlow: Pearson Education Ltd.