Education is a complex and important process which the future not just of only one person but the whole nation depends on, hence, it is an important factor of the progress in modern world

1.2. Characteristics of lexical fields

Modern English vocabulary is very extensive. A question which fairly arises while working with the language is whether this enormous word-stock must be composed of separate independent lexical units, or it should perhaps be regarded as a certain structured system made up of numerous interdependent and interrelated sub-systems or groups of words. This problem is discussed in terms of possible ways of classifying vocabulary items. Attempts to study the inner structure of the vocabulary revealed that English word-stock may be analyzed into numerous sub-systems the members of which have some features in common, thus distinguishing them from the members of other lexical sub-systems. Words can be classified in various ways. However, the semantic classification of words is more detailed.

Words may be classified according to the concepts underlying their meaning. This classification is closely connected with the theory of conceptual or semantic fields. By the term “semantic fields” we understand closely knit sectors of vocabulary each characterized by a common concept¹⁵.

Classification according to the concept underlying the meaning of the words is described by the term lexical, or semantic, field. Example of a lexical field might be group of words characterized by the common concept of the words: “wild animal” – wolf, fox, bear, dear, tiger and etc.

Members of a lexical field are not synonyms but are joined by the common semantic concept (in the example above it is “wild animal”), and this concept is usually called as the common denominator of the meaning. The members of the field are semantically interdependent as they delimit and determine each other. Hence, the term “lexical field” is described as a set of lexical items where the meaning of each is determined by the co-presence of others.

Lexical groups may be extensive as they may include words of different parts of speech. Another point should be discussed in this connection. Lexical groups may be very extensive and may cover big conceptual areas, e g. space, matter, intellect, science and etc¹⁶.

Words making up such semantic fields may belong to different parts of speech. For example, in the semantic field of space we find nouns: expanse, extent, surface, etc.; verbs: extend, spread, span, etc.; adjectives’ spacious, roomy, vast, broad, etc. Also there may be small lexical groups with words belonging to the same part of speech and united by the common concept. Such small groups are called lexico-semantic groups. It is noticed that words which compose lexical (semantic) field and lexico-semantic groups has a criterion of joining: the identity of one of the components of the meaning is found in all other lexical units which compose that set. Any of the semantic component may be chosen to represent the group. For instance, the word “saleswoman” might be analyzed into three different semantic components: “human”, “female”, “professional”¹⁷.

One of the most important points of studying lexical fields is the issue of polysemantic words. One polysemantic word may refer to different lexico-semantic groups. Such lexico-semantic groups are very important for understanding particular meaning of polysemantic words in lexical context. It is very important to mention that a word in combination with a member of other lexical group can become a synonym to another word. Lexico-semantic groups seem to play a very important role in deter-mining individual meanings of polysemantic words in lexical contexts. For instance, the verb “to take” refers to different lexico-semantic groups: 1. go (to take a transport); 2. drink (to take tea); 3. get (take something).

Such word-groups are often used not only in scientific lexicological analysis, but also in practical class-room teaching. In a number of textbooks, we can find words with some common denominator of meaning listed under the headings Flowers, Fruit, Domestic Animals, and so on.

Another approach to the classification of vocabulary items into lexico-semantic groups is the study of hoponymic relations between words. By hyponymy is meant a semantic relationship of inclusion. In this approach two different notions exist, which are hyponym and hyperonym, which are interdependent with each other and represent notions of the word relationships. Hyperonym is considered to be the main conception that serves for generalization for minor conceptions¹⁸. Hyponym is the most specific term, which is included in heperonymous notion. Thus, e.g., vehicle includes car, bus, taxi and etc. hence, in this example “vehicle” is hyperonym, and other words, which are included in this notion are called hyponyms. However, this hyper-hyponymic grouping may derivate, which means that with each new level this notion will drop down on one level. Thus, in case if there were one hypernym and several hyponyms, after derivation hyponyms will become hypernyms and will create their own small lexico-semantic groups. For example, in case with vehicle in the role of hypernym and car, bus as hyponyms, car might bus might become a hypernym if there appear such words as bus-driver, conductor, pass, and these specific terms will be hyponyms.

It is of importance to note that in such hierarchical structures certain words may be both classifiers and members of the groups. In such a case the more specific term is called the hyponym of the more general, and the more general is called the hyperonym or the classifier. Hyponymic classification may be viewed as objectively reflecting the structure of vocabulary and is considered by many linguists as one of the most important principles for the description of meaning¹⁹.