A Semantic Analysis of Ambiguity in English | ||
| Journal of Tikrit University for the Humanities | ||
| Article 1, Volume 21, Issue 1, June 2014, Pages 555-574 | ||
| Author | ||
| Hashim Saadoon Saleem | ||
| Abstract | ||
| ABSTRACT Experience in teaching English and previous findings show that learners confront acute difficulties very often in finding solutions to the commonest ambiguities whether in speech or in written language. Such difficulties stand strongly against learners' ability to understand an ambiguous sentence or a vocabulary item. The reason which has driven the researcher to write this paper is to highlight the notion of ambiguity posed in English trying to help learners lessen and overcome the difficulties which may be come across in everyday life by displaying the commonest ambiguities that exist in the English language. In so doing, the learners can find the research subject-matter helpful to increase their experience in this respect and pay more attention when they face such ambiguous constructions or words. The procedure to be followed in this research is to present the available literature relative to ambiguity whether intentional or unintentional. The researcher adopts a procedure of comments and analyses of spoken and written ambiguities which frequently appear in the language. However, conclusions are arrived at after thorough investigation of the topic. The degree of difficulty a learner of English faces when using an ambiguous sentence or a word by a speaker of English depends largely on the learner's educational level and whether he is an experienced learner or he is still at beginning stages. Some expressions and sentences, indeed, bring about ambiguity which are hardly understood, but by keeping contact with English speakers, ambiguity can be decreased. | ||
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