SKKN Some techniques for 12 graders at high school to effectively deal with synonym and antonym questions in the national high school graduation examination

PART 1. INTRODUCTION

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. Rationale

Practice demonstrates that vocabulary is the foundation of learning any new

language for the goal of communication. Learners will be unable to effectively

communicate or convey their ideas unless they have a large vocabulary. As a

result, learning vocabulary becomes extremely essential for students. It is true that

students are hesitant to learn vocabulary, and because of this, students have

difficulty taking tests, particularly the high school graduation examination.

Recently, an English test of the high school graduation examination has included

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0 challenging questions ranging from simple to complicated form to check

students‟ ability in four levels: recognition; understanding, low application and

high application. There are merely four questions in totally 50 questions relating to

closest/opposite meaning of words/phrases. However, as can be seen, in reading

comprehensive questions, there are also some questions relating to this type. If

students are equipped with techniques on how to deal with this type of exercise,

they can have better results in their tests, especially this examination.

The type of question “Find synonyms – antonyms” is relatively difficult and

confusing in vocabulary lessons for students. This significantly affects the results

of the high school exam. One of the greatest reasons for this situation is that

students do not have enough motivation doing this type of exercise. When

confronted with synonyms and antonyms in exam preparation, the majority of

them become discouraged and uninterested. Another cause for this is due to

students‟ lack of a wide range of vocabulary from their early age. As a result, they

have a difficulty comprehending and guessing the meaning of vocabulary

questions.

From the aforementioned fact, it is urgent for teachers to make discoveries and

innovative methods to improve the overall quality of teaching in order to assist

students in making significant progress in language practice in real-world

situations thanks to a vast knowledge of vocabulary acquired during English

classes. More practically, it stimulates them to perform better on tests, particularly

the National High School Graduation Examination. That is the reason why the

study was carried out, entitled „Some techniques for 12 graders at Yen Thanh 2

high school to effectively deal with synonym and antonym questions in the

national high school graduation examination‟.

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. Aims of the study:

The study aims at suggesting some techniques to motivate 12th graders to

participate actively in synonym and antonym activities, thereby helping them to

effectively deal with synonym and antonym questions in the national high school

graduation examination.

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PART 2. CONTENT

1. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

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. An overview of synonyms and antonyms

.1. What are synonyms?

Synonyms are words that have similar meanings, while antonyms are words that

have opposite meanings. In other words, synonyms are words that can be used

interchangeably in a particular context, while antonyms are words that are

opposites of each other in meaning. For example, the words “happy” and “joyful”

are synonyms, while the words “happy” and “sad” are antonyms. Understanding

synonyms and antonyms is important for vocabulary development, as it allows

students to broaden their vocabulary and express themselves more precisely in both

written and oral communication. It is also a key skill tested in standardized exams,

such as the National High School Graduation Examination.

A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same

as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in

the English language, the words begin, start, commence, and initiate are all

synonyms of one another: they are synonymous. The standard test for synonymy is

substitution: one form can be replaced by another in a sentence without changing

its meaning. Words are considered synonymous in only one particular sense:

For example, long and extended in the context long time or extended time are

synonymous, but long cannot be used in the phrase extended family. (Wikipedia)

According to the language dictionary, synonyms are words that mean the same or

are almost identical. Synonyms divided into two categories are complete synonyms

and incomplete synonyms. The first type is words with exactly the same meaning,

used equally and interchangeably in most cases. The second type are words with

the same meaning but still differ somewhat expressive shades (denoting emotions,

attitudes…) or how to act. When using these words, we have to consider the choice

accordingly.

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.2. What are antonyms?

The term antonym (and the related antonymy) is commonly taken to be

synonymous with opposite, but antonym also has other more restricted meanings.

Graded (or gradable) antonyms are word pairs whose meanings are opposite and

which lie on a continuous spectrum (hot, cold). Complementary antonyms are

word pairs whose meanings are opposite but whose meanings do not lie on a

continuous spectrum (push, pull). Relational antonyms are word pairs where

opposite makes sense only in the context of the relationship between the two

meanings (teacher, pupil). These more restricted meanings may not apply in all

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scholarly contexts, with Lyons (1968, 1977) defining antonym to mean gradable

antonyms, and Crystal (2003) warning that antonymy and antonym should be

regarded with care. (Wikipedia)

Antonyms are words with opposite meanings. Similar to synonyms, we also have

two types of antonyms that are complete antonyms and incomplete antonyms.

From the concepts mentioned above, there are some points we need to keep in

mind as follows: Whether the words are considered synonymous or completely

opposite, there are differences between them and cannot be used interchangeably

in any case. Therefore, besides teaching and learning the meaning of words, we

need to pay attention to the context in which synonyms or antonyms can be used.

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. Some principles of teaching synonyms and antonyms

Here are some principles for teaching synonyms and antonyms:

Start with basic vocabulary: Before teaching more advanced synonyms and

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antonyms, it is important to ensure that students have a strong foundation in basic

vocabulary. This can be done through various activities such as word matching

exercises, picture-based vocabulary games, and reading comprehension tasks.

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Use context: Understanding the context in which a word is used is crucial for

identifying synonyms and antonyms. Teachers should provide examples of how

different words can be used in different contexts and encourage students to look for

contextual clues when identifying synonyms and antonyms.

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Provide visual aids: Using visual aids such as diagrams, flashcards, and mind

maps can help students visualize relationships between words and remember them

more effectively.

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Learn word families: Encouraging students to learn words in families (e.g.

happy, happiness, happier, happiest) can help them identify synonyms and

antonyms more easily.

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Join active learning: Instead of simply providing students with a list of

synonyms and antonyms, teachers should encourage students to actively engage

with vocabulary through activities such as word games, writing exercises, and

discussions.

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Encourage the use of a thesaurus: Introducing students to a thesaurus can help

them expand their vocabulary and find synonyms and antonyms more easily.

Teachers should show students how to use a thesaurus effectively and encourage

them to use it in their writing.

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Reinforce learning: Regularly reviewing and revisiting synonyms and antonyms

is important for helping students retain new vocabulary. Teachers should