Международный научно-образовательный электронный журнал

ФИО автора: 
Albina Romenovna Sharipova
English teacher of Bukhara Institute
of Natural Resources Management
of the National Research University 
of Tashkent Institute of Irrigation 
and Agricultural Mechanization Engineers 
Название публикации:
«VOCABULARY PRECEDENCIES OF STUDENTS 
STUDYING ENGLISH LANGUAGE IN A NON-LINGUISTIC INSTITUTE» 
УДК 372.881 
Annotation: 
The article summarizes the results of the author’s observations in the 
field of learning and use of the lexical material by students, studying English language 
in non-linguistic institute. The conditions, affecting the choice of a synonym in the 
written texts of students, are determined. By the examples of several pairs or 
numbers of synonyms it is shown that the vocabulary precedencies of students are 
influenced by certain factors. 
Key words and phrases: 
rhetorical aspect; syntax; compositional skill; 
communication; dynamic system; language proficiency; international classifier
. 
The proposed article continues to acquaint the reader with the results of a 
study cataloging the shortcomings of the written language of students for whom 
English is not the main specialty. Previously published works have focused on the 
rhetorical aspect of English syntax [4,6]. 
The article is devoted to some issues of using synonyms. It is known that 
teaching a foreign language involves the complex development of communication 
skills and language skills, in particular style-distinctive skills, compositional skills, 
rhetorical organization. 

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Learning is a fairly complex dynamic system, and achieving a level of language 
proficiency that allows more or less fluent use of it takes a lot of time. Thus, many 
years of institute practice shows that the achievement of the B2 level, according to 
the international classifier [1], occurs only after three-four years of intensive training. 
The language material to be learned is distributed in certain proportions over six to 
eight semesters. 
This must be in mind in order to consider how various lexical units are 
introduced and, consequently, assimilated, first of all, synonyms, allowing you to see 
the preferences of students in mastering the vocabulary. Thus, two synonyms 
introduced into use in different semesters find themselves in a kind of unequal 
conditions. The more advantageous position is the word that students learn about 
earlier. By the time it comes to its synonym, the word has traveled long enough to be 
in the student’s active vocabulary. It is trained in various speech exercises or simply 
used in educational communication. This practice brings this word to the first position 
in the memory of a student. 
The introduction of the synonym also involves the development of its use in 
speech exercises. However, if the exercise is not specifically aimed at the use of this 
word, the prospect of its use is obscured by the already worked out lexical unit. Of 
course, the situation described here is not true for all synonymic pairs or series. Many 
of the synonyms are equally easily assimilated by students and occupy equal positions 
in their active vocabulary. In other pairs, one of the synonyms dominates the other 
and pushes it to more distant positions in the student’s memory. 
Meanwhile the choice of a synonym is rarely arbitrary. It is determined by 
various factors, namely: the stylistic significance of the word, its sound in the context. 
We will try to further illustrate the above considerations, as well as to define the 
reasons for the uneven activity of synonyms in some rows or pairs. First of all, the 
described dynamics is true for words that are characterized by relations between the 

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general and the particular. Let’s look at the examples: to make one’s way – to elbow 
(to squeeze, to struggle, to stumble) one’s way.
It is obvious that a word or expression with a general meaning occupies a more 
active position in the vocabulary of a student, and not only a student, than its 
synonym with a narrow semantics. Such word is used, first of all, because it is neutral 
dominant of the synonymic series and is located, so to speak, on the tip of the tongue 
[2, p.214]. Its use in oral speech does not cause any complaints. Yu.M. Skrebnev, for 
example, notes that the sphere of everyday oral communication is replete with words 
of common meanings [3, p.220]. However, written speech, and in many cases oral 
speech, requires a more accurate naming of objects, actions or qualities, which can 
be achieved by selecting an appropriate synonym: 
From a student’s answer: He made his way to the exit squeezing through the crowd. 
More idiomatic: He squeezed his way to the exit. 
Let’s look at another example: to pronounce – to utter. The verb ‘to 
pronounce’, as well as its derivatives, is introduced into the vocabulary of students at 
the very first stages of learning. They get to know it in practical phonetics classes. 
From the very first days, this verb begins to show its activity comparable to the most 
frequent words in the English language, such as ‘to come’, ‘to take’, ‘to get’, ‘to think’, 
‘to make’ having strengthened in the mind of the student, this verb prevents the 
activation of the verb ‘to utter’. Students do not pay attention to the shades of 
meanings, the stylistic status of the word and other factors that determine the choice 
of one or another synonym: 
From students’ compositions: He was so frightened that couldn’t pronounce a word. 
More idiomatic: He was so frightened that couldn’t utter a word. 
Let’s move on to the consideration of the synonymous pair ‘to imagine’ – ‘to fancy’ 
like most words of the language, the lexical units given have a wide semantics.
At the same time, they are synonymous only in the following meanings:

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1.
imagine in the mind a picture of an object or phenomenon; 
2.
present something as unusual, often condemned, in incentive models; 
3.
to suppose, to believe that some event actually takes place. 
In the last of the given meanings, neither one nor the other verb is used at all the 
works of students. In this sense they tend to use verbs ‘believe’, ‘think’, ‘suppose’. As 
for the other two meanings, there is clearly an inclination of students to use the verb 
‘imagine’. It is not taken into account even the fact that the named verbs are not 
always interchangeable: 
From students’ answers: Imagine her wearing men’s trousers! Can you imagine me as 
a geography teacher? 
More idiomatic: Fancy her wearing men’s trousers! Can you fancy me as a geography 
teacher? 
Since the subject content of these verbs is in demand in the practice of 
communication, both words are entered into the students’ active vocabulary. While 
the introduction of the verb ‘imagine’, usually ahead of its synonym. In addition, its 
assimilation is supported by single-root words ‘image’, ‘imagination’, ‘imagery’, 
‘imaginary’. This is probably why a solid habit of using this verb is formed in the minds 
of students. 
However, the verb ‘fancy’ is not ignored by the students at all. It is quite widely 
used in a different meaning – ‘to have a deposition towards something/someone. 
Such a distribution of functions is determined, most likely, by the structure of the 
corresponding dictionary entries. In the most popular dictionaries among students, 
the first meaning of the verb ‘imagine’ is ‘to depict a picture in one’s mind’, and the 
verb ‘fancy’ is ‘to have a deposition towards something/someone [5].
Meanwhile, the structure of the dictionary entry is not random. It strives to 
reflect reality, in this case – to reflect the frequency of the use of a lexical unit in one 
meaning or another. This is exactly what is taken into account by the methodology, 
which determines the priority of introducing one or another lexical unit. Let’s 

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discriminate a pair ‘mistake’ – ‘error’. The word ‘mistake’ is introduced into the 
vocabulary of students in school. At the same time, it is closely connected with the 
educational activities of schoolchildren, who later become students.
In the course of studying at the university, the skills of using this word are 
strengthened and become more solid. However, to say that this word prevents the 
activation of its synonym ‘error’, is wrong. Both lexical units are easily memorized by 
students and are widely used in their speech. However, their use remains not only 
idiomatic. The main problem is that students have distorted ideas about the 
differences between these synonyms. At the same time, the differences in the stylistic 
status of these units, the word ‘error’ appears more often in official texts, is easily 
assimilated. The situation is more complicated with the shades of their meanings true 
differences ‘mistake’ – mistake caused by misunderstanding, underestimation or 
delusion; ‘error’ – a system error that is not related to human consciousness, is 
replaced by the subjective ideas of students.
The word ‘mistake’ is perceived as an insignificant, easily correctable mistake, 
while the word ‘error’ is perceived as an error leading to severe, often irreparable 
consequences. 
From students’ compositions: Now he realized that his marriage was an error. 
More idiomatic: Now he realized that his marriage was a mistake. 
A survey aimed at finding out the reasons for student representations led to 
unexpected results. The basis for such representations is the compatibility of the word 
‘error’ with the verb ‘commit’, which is often realized in speech together with nouns 
that have extremely negative connotations ‘to commit a crime/murder/suicide’ . 
However, recently students have come across the word ‘error’ on displays of 
computers or other consumer electronic devices, which makes them doubt the 
correctness of their interpretations. 

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The following synonymous series is also interesting: ‘look’, ‘watch’ – ‘gaze’, 
‘glance’, ‘glimpse’, ‘stare’, ‘peer eye’. Practically each of the listed words is introduced 
into the active vocabulary of students at or another stage of learning. At the same 
time, their introduction is accompanied by an explanation of the differences regarding 
their stylistic status, the nature of the action, or emotional state of the character 
performing this action. Each of these verbs is found both in fiction and in 
methodological literature. Meanwhile, only the first two verbs are characterized by 
strong skills of use in oral and written speech. In principle, this is quite natural, since, 
firstly, the verbs ‘look’ and ‘watch’ are among the most frequent in the English 
language, and secondly, both of them are introduced into the lexicon of students at 
the first stages of schooling. 
Next in frequent use of students’ speech is verb ‘glance’. Semantic differences 
between ‘look’, ’watch’, on the one hand. And ‘glance’ on the other hand, are easily 
assimilated as differences in aspect. The situation with verbs ‘gaze’ and ‘stare’ is more 
complicated. This is probably due to the fact that, along with the action, the named 
verbs also denote the emotional or physical state of a person during the performance 
of this action: surprise, admiration, fatigue, indifference as for verbs ‘glimpse’, ‘peer 
eye’, they remain in the passive vocabulary. 
In conclusion, it should be noted that the dictionary of any language is a very 
voluminous object, even within the boundaries outlined by the university program. In 
this regard, any description such as that undertaken above can only be fragmentary. 
In fact, vocabulary preferences of students are observed in much more numerous 
synonymous pairs or rows. Nevertheless, based on observations, it is possible to 
identify some factors that determine students’ preferences in choosing one or 
another synonym. These factors are: 
- high frequency of use of this lexical unit in all spheres of human 
communication; 

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- high frequency of use of this lexical unit in the spheres of students’ activity, in 
education, youth movements, science, as well as in areas related to the personal 
interests of students, sports, music, information technology;
- the presence of an etymological nest in a given lexical unit; 
- the priority of one or another value of a given unit, which is reflected in the 
order of enumeration in the dictionary entry; 
- subjective, sometimes erroneous ideas of students about the degree of 
semantic identity of Russian and English equivalents. 
Observations and small experiments that provided material for this 
article were carried out at the Uzbek State University of International Languages, at 
the Bukhara State University, as well as at a number of universities and pedagogical 
colleges in Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara.