Every learner of a foreign language has experienced the problem that very often there is more than one meaning to a lexeme, and one needs a good command of English through experience to chose the right translation in order to avoid mistakes, which might in the worst case lead to a completely different understanding of the meaning that one wanted to convey.
The German lexeme Reise has a variety of meanings in English: travel, journey, trip, voyage, crossing, flight, tour, etc., which makes it difficult for the L2-learner to distinguish between them when in need for a translation. Some are fairly easy to use, but others become confusing, if one looks them up in a dictionary, because their meanings overlap and the boundaries are not clear cut.
So the first aim of this paper is to further compare and research four of the meaning variants of Reise, i.e. the lexemes travel, journey, trip and voyage, in order to establish their distinct usage for the EFL classroom and of course, based on the aforementioned, for practical real world use.
The second aim is to develop adequate methods to teach these findings to pupils in a way that goes beyond strict learning from a book, but puts the given vocabulary into contexts.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- 1. Definitions/research methods
- 1.1 Travel
- 1.2 Journey
- 1.3 Trip
- 1.4 Voyage
- 1.5 Summary
- 2. Componential analysis
- 2.1 Lexical field
- 2.2 Meaning components
- 3. Didactic approach
- 3.1 Awareness of meaning diversity
- 3.2 Introducing definitions and exclusive features
- 3.3 Exercises for practical use
- 4. Conclusion
- 6. Sources
- 5. Appendix
- 5.1 Table of co-occurrences, based on the BNC
- 5.2 Worksheet: Gap exercise
- 5.3 Worksheet - Definitions
- 5.4 Worksheet: Translation English - German
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper focuses on the nuanced meanings of four English lexemes – travel, journey, trip, and voyage – which are often used to translate the German word "Reise." The main objective is to compare and analyze these lexemes, establishing their distinct usage for EFL classroom and practical real-world application. The paper also aims to develop practical teaching methods for effectively conveying these distinctions to students.
- Meaning distinctions between travel, journey, trip, and voyage
- Componential analysis of the lexemes based on lexical field and meaning components
- Developing didactic approaches for teaching the nuances of these lexemes
- The role of the British National Corpus (BNC) in analyzing lexeme usage and co-occurrences
- Practical exercises and teaching strategies for learners of English as a Foreign Language (EFL)
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The paper begins by defining the four lexemes – travel, journey, trip, and voyage – based on entries from various dictionaries, including the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary (CALD), Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (LDOCE), and Merriam-Webster Online Search (M-W). The author then delves into the usage of each term, examining their specific meanings through analysis of the British National Corpus (BNC) in order to identify potential co-occurrences and distinctions in meaning.
Chapter 1 presents the definitions of the four lexemes and examines their usage in the BNC. It highlights key factors such as the 'sex' and 'number' of persons mentioned in the context, the 'time' and 'distance' implied, the 'means of transportation,' and the 'travelled medium.' Chapter 2 focuses on the lexical field and meaning components of the four lexemes. This analysis provides a deeper understanding of the semantic nuances between them.
Chapter 3 proposes a didactic approach to teaching these lexemes, emphasizing the importance of students developing an awareness of meaning diversity, understanding the specific definitions and exclusive features of each lexeme, and engaging in practical exercises to apply these concepts. The appendix provides various teaching materials and resources, such as a table of co-occurrences, a worksheet for gap exercises, and a worksheet for definition and translation tasks.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The primary focus of this paper is on the lexical semantics of the English lexemes travel, journey, trip, and voyage, with a special emphasis on analyzing their distinct usage and co-occurrences in the British National Corpus (BNC). Key themes include the identification of meaning components and the development of effective teaching methods for EFL learners, aiming to improve their understanding and use of these terms in various contexts.
- Quote paper
- Konstantin Seitz (Author), 2006, Difficulties in second language acquisition , Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/80085
