المستخلص: |
It is challenging to help EFL students learn and use synonyms in Iraq. This study investigates the challenges faced by Iraqi learners of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in understanding and using synonyms. By employing Langacker's cognitive linguistic theory of domains, the research aims to enhance Iraqi EFL learners' synonym knowledge and vocabulary acquisition. The study utilizes a descriptive analysis technique, with a pre-test and post-test design, involving fifty first-year students at the University of Baghdad's College of Languages, Department of English. The findings reveal that the domain theory significantly improved students' comprehension and application of English word semantics. Prior to the intervention, students had limited knowledge of the domain approach and struggled with recognizing and producing lexical features. After five weeks of treatment, students demonstrated increased abilities to define different types of domains and their properties, as well as understanding the literal and conceptual meanings of words. The study concludes that implementing the theory of domains can effectively enhance vocabulary acquisition among Iraqi EFL students and emphasizes the importance of teaching synonyms with a focus on sense relations.
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