Explain any three difficulties experienced by second language users in learning English vocabulary.

As Second Language users we may find a few stumbling blocks in mastering this language. In this section we shall look at a few of these difficulties.

One Word Many Meanings (Homonyms)

Homonyms are words which have the same spelling and pronunciation but different meanings in different contexts. In the following sentences, the word club has different meanings.

As a child, you might have gone to a local club in your locality. You might have seen the picture of Bhim with a club in his hand in Mahabharat serial on television, and if you play cards, you have to deal with clubs in the pack. Your teacher might suggest to you to club two paragraphs together to make the writing more compact.

Same Sound, Different Form and Meanings (Homophones)

What is common in the different set of words? Yes. You have got it right. The pronunciation (sound) of both the words are exactly the same but the written form (spelling) are different. The meaning of the words is also different. Which spelling to use is decided by the context in which the word is used. Such pair of words – with identical sounds but different spelling and different meaning – are known as homophones.

Idiomatic Expressions

Does lend an ear to someone mean the same as to lend someone money? What does from hand to mouth mean? Who in your family is the apple of your eye? Or what is it to have a green thumb? As an experienced user of the language, you know the meaning of such ‘idiomatic expressions’ and you are well aware that these frozen expressions mean something which is totally different from the sum total of the individual words. The meaning cannot be derived from individual words and must be learnt as a complete unit of meaning. And this understanding is acquired slowly, gradually and with constant contact with the language.

Formal-Informal Expressions / Approved – Disapproved Levels of formality and the connotations of some words also pose practical problems for students of a second language. In learning a new language there is a tendency to use the more formal language in normal conversational situations or vice versa i.e. use a slang or colloquial expression inappropriately. Similarly, the positive or negative connotations of some words might create difficulty for you. We all know how we applaud the firmness, determination or resoluteness (words indicating approval) of people we like whereas we deplore the stubbornness, obstinacy and pig-headedness (terms indicating disapproval) of those whom we don’t like in exactly the same situations. Similarly, the same person can be fat or plump to different persons. It takes a long time for most of us to catch such nuances of the language.

Hyponyms (word categories)  - Orange is a fruit and so is an apple, banana or a mango. The word fruit is a superordinate while the name of other fruits given above are the hyponyms. Similarly, learners are familiar with different items in the world around them. Given below are some examples of this category of sense relationship.

Collocation (word partnerships) - Collocations are essentially word partnerships. A collocation is two or more words that often go together. Native speakers intuitively know which words frequently combine and are acceptable and which do not. Knowing the frequent collocations is essential for accurate natural English.

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