Author:
S. A. Rassada,
Candidate of Pedagogic Sciences, associate рrofessor, e-mail: rassada55@gmail.com
Omsk State University named after F. M. Dostoevsky
55a Prospekt Mira, Omsk, 644077, Russian Federation
O. V. Freze,
Candidate of Pedagogic Sciences, associate рrofessor,
e-mail: ofreze@rambler.ru
Omsk State University named after F. M. Dostoevsky
55a Prospekt Mira, Omsk, 644077, Russian Federation
Abstract:
The article is devoted to the question of expanding semantic fields of university students while study-ing foreign vocabulary. A circle of issues connected with learning the words is discussed. In our opinion, improving of lexical skills of students is possible if to unite known and unknown words for the students into semantic groups – lexical maps and semantic fields and to use them for enriching students’ personal vocabu-lary which leads to atomization and flexibility of lexical skills. Lexical competence is viewed as a part of communicative competence which is formed more effectively by the wide usage of semantic fields and thematic maps during language learning. Different definitions of semantic fields are given and the conclu-sion is drawn that semantic fields are needed for better memorizing of foreign words and quick remember-ing the necessary words. Factors of developing semantic field are presented. New words should be given in a definite context, which forms the immediate word environment and can help to enlarge association links between words. It is essential to form different links between words in different contexts. For expanding the context teachers can unite adjacent semantic fields (it means when studying new topics, it is important to use active vocabulary from previously studied topics). The circulation of previously learnt words is very important. The model of semantic field formation is described which consists of several blocks: aim (devel-oping lexical competence), motivation (factors that contribute to motivation increase for learning words), content (getting the meaning of the words), procedure and diagnostic blocks. With reference to the proce-dure block, the work with thematic maps including online ones is examined. Such maps are like guides for students in their way to use the language fluently. Students can use thematic maps in the process of plan-ning their oral or written texts. Thanks to graphical representation of the material, it is much easier to form firm lexical ties between different groups of words. The diagnostic block contains criteria (motivational, cognitive, pragmatic) and descriptors which allow to evaluate the results of the effectiveness of the suggest-ed model. The model was tried out in Omsk State University. Students worked with websites to create their digital thematic maps (for example www.mindomo.com and https://mind42.com). They liked the fact that there were quite a lot of free templates. Moreover, they could upload and attach to their maps video and voice messages. Students worked on their maps during they studied the topic and in the end of the unit they used the most successful maps while making up dialogues or monologues. The article might be useful for language teachers at universities and ESP teachers, also for those who teach foreign language at different language schools.
Keywords:
Communicative competence, lexical skills, semantic field, thematic map, model of seman-tic field formation.
