(Skkn mới nhất) some techniques for 12th graders at yen thanh 2 high school to effectively deal with synonym and antonym questions in the national high school graduation examination

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SỞ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO NGHỆ AN

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TRƯỜNG THPT YÊN THÀNH 2

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SÁNG KIẾN KINH NGHIỆM

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Some techniques for 12th graders at Yen Thanh 2
high school to effectively deal with synonym and
antonym questions in the national high school
graduation examination

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NĂM HỌC: 2022 - 2023

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Môn/ Lĩnh vực: Tiếng Anh
Người thực hiện: Võ Thị Thanh Hoà
Tổ: Ngoại ngữ
Điện thoại: 0986.790.277

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

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CONTENTS

PAGE

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PART 1: INTRODUCTION

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1. Rationale

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2. Aims of the study

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PART 2: CONTENT

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I. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

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1. An overview of Synonyms and Antonyms

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1.2. What are antonyms?

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1.1. What are synonyms?

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2. Some principles of teaching Synonyms and Antonyms

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II. PRACTICAL BACKGROUND

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2. Disadvantages

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1. Advantages

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III. THE STUDY

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1. Methodology

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1.3. Data collection procedures

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2.1.Reality of students‟ ability to do synonyms and antonyms exercises
in the researcher‟s school

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2.2.Feasibility of motivating students through techniques to teach
synonyms and antonyms tasks

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3. Solutions

3.1. Some important factors related to synonyms and antonym
games

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3.1.1. Rules of games

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3.1.2. Interaction

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2. Findings of the study

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1.2. Instrumentation

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1.1. Participants

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3.1.4. Assessments

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3.1.3. Time limitation to tackle the games and show the results

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3.1.5. Selecting target synonyms and antonyms

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3.1.6. Procedure

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3.2. Some tips to help students effectively do the synonym –
antonym questions in the national high school graduation exam.

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3.2.1. Identify root words

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3.2.2. Look for context clues

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3.2.4. Pay attention to prefixes and suffixes

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3.2.5. Use a thesaurus

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3.2.3. Use process of elimination

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3.2.6. Directly replace the given options on the underlined

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3.3. Suggested techniques to teach synonyms and antonyms

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3.3.1. Synonym/ Antonym Bingo Game

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3.3.3. Synonym/ Antonym matching game

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3.3.2. Synonym/antonym crosswords

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3.3.4. Writing 3 synonyms/ antonyms and passing around

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4.3. Respondents (survey subjects)

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4.4.The survey results on the urgency and feasibility of the
proposed solutions

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4.4.1.The urgency of the proposed solutions

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4.4.2.The feasibility of the proposed solutions

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PART 3: CONCLUSION

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1. Summary of the study

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2. Limitations

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4.2. The content and method of the survey

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4.1.The aim of the survey

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4.The survey on the urgency and the feasibility of the
recommended solutions

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3.4. Some samples

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3. Suggestions for further study

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REFERENCES

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APPENDICES

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PART 1. INTRODUCTION

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1. Rationale

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Practice demonstrates that vocabulary is the foundation of learning any new
language for the goal of communication. Learners will be unable to effectively
communicate or convey their ideas unless they have a large vocabulary. As a
result, learning vocabulary becomes extremely essential for students. It is true that
students are hesitant to learn vocabulary, and because of this, students have
difficulty taking tests, particularly the high school graduation examination.

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Recently, an English test of the high school graduation examination has included
50 challenging questions ranging from simple to complicated form to check
students‟ ability in four levels: recognition; understanding, low application and
high application. There are merely four questions in totally 50 questions relating to
closest/opposite meaning of words/phrases. However, as can be seen, in reading
comprehensive questions, there are also some questions relating to this type. If
students are equipped with techniques on how to deal with this type of exercise,
they can have better results in their tests, especially this examination.

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The type of question "Find synonyms - antonyms” is relatively difficult and
confusing in vocabulary lessons for students. This significantly affects the results
of the high school exam. One of the greatest reasons for this situation is that
students do not have enough motivation doing this type of exercise. When
confronted with synonyms and antonyms in exam preparation, the majority of
them become discouraged and uninterested. Another cause for this is due to
students‟ lack of a wide range of vocabulary from their early age. As a result, they
have a difficulty comprehending and guessing the meaning of vocabulary
questions.

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From the aforementioned fact, it is urgent for teachers to make discoveries and
innovative methods to improve the overall quality of teaching in order to assist
students in making significant progress in language practice in real-world
situations thanks to a vast knowledge of vocabulary acquired during English
classes. More practically, it stimulates them to perform better on tests, particularly
the National High School Graduation Examination. That is the reason why the
study was carried out, entitled „Some techniques for 12 graders at Yen Thanh 2

high school to effectively deal with synonym and antonym questions in the
national high school graduation examination‟.

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2. Aims of the study:

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The study aims at suggesting some techniques to motivate 12 th graders to
participate actively in synonym and antonym activities, thereby helping them to
effectively deal with synonym and antonym questions in the national high school
graduation examination.

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PART 2. CONTENT

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I. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

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1. An overview of synonyms and antonyms

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1.1. What are synonyms?

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Synonyms are words that have similar meanings, while antonyms are words that
have opposite meanings. In other words, synonyms are words that can be used
interchangeably in a particular context, while antonyms are words that are
opposites of each other in meaning. For example, the words "happy" and "joyful"
are synonyms, while the words "happy" and "sad" are antonyms. Understanding
synonyms and antonyms is important for vocabulary development, as it allows
students to broaden their vocabulary and express themselves more precisely in both
written and oral communication. It is also a key skill tested in standardized exams,
such as the National High School Graduation Examination.

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A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same
as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in
the English language, the words begin, start, commence, and initiate are all
synonyms of one another: they are synonymous. The standard test for synonymy is
substitution: one form can be replaced by another in a sentence without changing
its meaning. Words are considered synonymous in only one particular sense:

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For example, long and extended in the context long time or extended time are
synonymous, but long cannot be used in the phrase extended family. (Wikipedia)

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According to the language dictionary, synonyms are words that mean the same or
are almost identical. Synonyms divided into two categories are complete synonyms
and incomplete synonyms. The first type is words with exactly the same meaning,
used equally and interchangeably in most cases. The second type are words with
the same meaning but still differ somewhat expressive shades (denoting emotions,
attitudes...) or how to act. When using these words, we have to consider the choice
accordingly.

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The term antonym (and the related antonymy) is commonly taken to be
synonymous with opposite, but antonym also has other more restricted meanings.
Graded (or gradable) antonyms are word pairs whose meanings are opposite and
which lie on a continuous spectrum (hot, cold). Complementary antonyms are
word pairs whose meanings are opposite but whose meanings do not lie on a
continuous spectrum (push, pull). Relational antonyms are word pairs where
opposite makes sense only in the context of the relationship between the two
meanings (teacher, pupil). These more restricted meanings may not apply in all
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1.2. What are antonyms?

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scholarly contexts, with Lyons (1968, 1977) defining antonym to mean gradable
antonyms, and Crystal (2003) warning that antonymy and antonym should be
regarded with care. (Wikipedia)

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Antonyms are words with opposite meanings. Similar to synonyms, we also have
two types of antonyms that are complete antonyms and incomplete antonyms.

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From the concepts mentioned above, there are some points we need to keep in
mind as follows: Whether the words are considered synonymous or completely
opposite, there are differences between them and cannot be used interchangeably
in any case. Therefore, besides teaching and learning the meaning of words, we
need to pay attention to the context in which synonyms or antonyms can be used.

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2. Some principles of teaching synonyms and antonyms

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Here are some principles for teaching synonyms and antonyms:

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*Start with basic vocabulary: Before teaching more advanced synonyms and
antonyms, it is important to ensure that students have a strong foundation in basic
vocabulary. This can be done through various activities such as word matching
exercises, picture-based vocabulary games, and reading comprehension tasks.

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*Use context: Understanding the context in which a word is used is crucial for
identifying synonyms and antonyms. Teachers should provide examples of how
different words can be used in different contexts and encourage students to look for
contextual clues when identifying synonyms and antonyms.

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*Provide visual aids: Using visual aids such as diagrams, flashcards, and mind
maps can help students visualize relationships between words and remember them
more effectively.

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*Learn word families: Encouraging students to learn words in families (e.g.
happy, happiness, happier, happiest) can help them identify synonyms and
antonyms more easily.

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*Reinforce learning: Regularly reviewing and revisiting synonyms and antonyms
is important for helping students retain new vocabulary. Teachers should

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*Encourage the use of a thesaurus: Introducing students to a thesaurus can help
them expand their vocabulary and find synonyms and antonyms more easily.
Teachers should show students how to use a thesaurus effectively and encourage
them to use it in their writing.

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*Join active learning: Instead of simply providing students with a list of
synonyms and antonyms, teachers should encourage students to actively engage
with vocabulary through activities such as word games, writing exercises, and

discussions.

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incorporate regular vocabulary quizzes, games, and activities into their lessons to
reinforce learning.

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II. PRACTICAL BACKGROUND

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1. Advantages

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The practical situation of teaching and learning English synonyms and antonyms at
Yen Thanh 2 high schools is that teachers provide many exercises for students to
practice, and students learn very hard to pass the final exam. In order to ensure that

students have a good grasp of English synonyms and antonyms, teachers often
provide students with a variety of exercises that cover different aspects of
synonyms and antonyms, such as identifying synonyms and antonyms in context,
using synonyms and antonyms in sentences, and matching synonyms and
antonyms with their definitions. Students are often required to learn a large number
of synonyms and antonyms and are expected to use them correctly in their written
and spoken communication. This can be a challenging task, but students are
motivated to learn as passing the final exam is important for their academic and
professional future. As a result, both teachers and students work hard to ensure that
students have a strong understanding of English synonyms and antonyms.

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2. Disadvantages

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The practical situation of teaching and learning English synonyms and antonyms at
Vietnamese high schools in general and at Yen Thanh 2 high school in particular
can present some disadvantages. One of the main issues is that teachers may not
have an effective teaching method for synonyms and antonyms, which can make it
difficult for students to learn and retain the information. Another issue is that
students may struggle to remember the meaning of synonyms and antonyms in a
monotonous way, especially if they are not exposed to English language and
culture on a regular basis. Furthermore, because Vietnamese and English have
different cultural backgrounds, it can be hard for average-level students like Yen
Thanh 2 high school graders who mainly come from poor families to guess the real
meaning of synonyms and antonyms, which can further complicate the learning
process. Finally, students may not be provided with suitable strategies to cope with
synonyms and antonyms questions on standardized exams, such as the National

High School Graduation Examination. Overall, these factors can create a
challenging learning environment for students and make it difficult for them to
master English synonyms and antonyms.

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1.1. Participants

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1. Methodology

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III. THE STUDY

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The subjects of the study were 72 students from class 12A8 and 12A11 of Yen
Thanh 2 high school including both male and female ones. They participated in the
study in 10 weeks from the beginning of the second semester of the school year
2021 – 2022. In my observation and assessment, their English proficiency at the
beginning of the study was at the low level.

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The techniques were used in the warm-up part of every lesson, and typically
carried out for 7 to 10 minutes to stimulate students. After the activity, teacher
summarized the games, gave marks or awarded small prizes to the winners to
encourage them.

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1.2. Instrumentation

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In terms of study instruments, the researcher used two main kinds: questionnaires
for the surveys and multiple choice tests. Besides, class observations were also
used to supplement the above instruments.

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1.3. Data collection procedures

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Firstly, the pre-questionnaire was administrated at the end of the first semester to
measure „input motivation‟ and gather information about the reality of studying
synonyms and antonyms. The participants had one day to think carefully and give
their answers. After collecting the pre-questionnaire, the researcher taught the
students in 10 weeks by using games as techniques to inspire students‟ studying
synonyms and antonyms at the start of every lesson. At the end of the study, the
post-questionnaire was used to obtain the students‟ attitude towards this
application and their motivation for learning English. Apart from the
questionnaires, class observations were made before and during the treatment.
Lastly, a multiple choice test was conducted before and after the study to get
qualitative data explaining the changes.

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2. Findings of the study

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Furthermore, the pre-test results suggested that the students‟ ability to do
synonyms and antonyms tasks significantly lower than had expected. Only a little
more than half of the students gained fair and average marks, over 40% got weak
marks and even no students owned excellent mark.

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The result from the pre-questionnaire revealed that students‟ ability to use

synonyms and antonyms was rather low. Only 32% knew how to do synonyms and
antonyms exercises fluently, whereas 33% found it difficult. Especially, 35% said
they were impossible to distinguish synonyms from antonyms.

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2.1. Reality of students’ ability to do synonyms and antonyms exercises in the
researcher’s school

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With regard to the practical situation of learning English synonyms and antonyms
in grade 12 at Yen Thanh 2 High School, the survey results stated that teaching and
learning synonyms and antonyms were not frequently improved at Yen Thanh 2
High School. More than half of the students complained that the synonyms and
antonyms exercises in tests and exams were extremely perplexing and challenging.
Also, 40% affirmed that synonyms and antonyms lessons were also boring and not
stimulating. This proved that most students lacked motivation to participate in
synonyms and antonyms activities and lacked knowledge on how to successfully
cope with English synonyms and antonyms exercises in tests and exams.

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These aforementioned figures showed that it is really urgent to change the teaching
method and suggest some thought-provoking techniques to teach synonyms and
antonyms in order to motivate the students in learning and fulfill effectively
opposite and closest words exercises.

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2.2. Feasibility of motivating students through techniques to teach synonyms
and antonyms tasks

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Considering the research literature and the results taken from the questionnaires,
the pre-test and the survey, the researcher finds it possible to insert techniques into
lessons to motivate students. There are some reasons for the feasibility of applying
techniques to helps students effectively deal with synonyms and antonyms
exercises.

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Firstly, according to the data of the pre-treatment survey, there were 70% of the
respondents saying that they realised the significance of learning synonyms and
antonyms to prepare for the national high school graduation examination. Besides,
80% of the students wanted their teachers to give them synonyms and antonyms
tasks through exciting techniques, while nearly 70% of them argued that they
never have any exciting activities to join in synonyms and antonyms lessons.

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Secondly, the data analysis after the application of techniques to teach synonyms
and antonyms revealed that students‟ ability and motivation to do synonyms and
antonyms e x e r c i s e s had changed positively. The percent of students who know
how to do synonyms and antonyms tasks increased by 69,5% while the number of
the students with find it impossible to distinguish synonyms from antonyms
reduced by 9,7%. The results of the post-test went up by over 80% with fair and
average marks, while the figure for the weak marks decreased by below 15%.
Especially, there were about 8% students gaining excellent and good marks, which
is an unexpected miracle.

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Finally, an English format test of GCSE has included 50 challenging questions
ranging from simple to complicated form to check students‟ ability in four levels:
recognition, understanding, low application and high application. There are merely

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four questions in totally 50 questions related to closest/opposite meaning of
words/phrases. However, as can be seen thoroughly, in reading comprehensive
exercises, there are at least 2 more questions related to this type. Therefore, the
total number of synonyms and antonyms questions in the national high school
graduation exam is also very significant. If students are equipped with appropriate
techniques on how to deal with this type of exercise, they can surely have better

results in their tests, especially the next GCSE.

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In fact, based on the practical situations of most students in grade 12 at Yen Thanh
2 High School, most of the students are assessed in low and average levels. Hence,
the research only pays attention to techniques used to teach synonyms and
antonyms with the ability in recognition and understanding levels for students to
gain the level of average marks.

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3. Solutions
3.1. Some important factors related to synonyms and antonym games

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3.1.1. Rules of games

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Setting the rules and getting everyone to agree on the rules is the first step to
avoiding arguments when the competition has begun. The rules of the games
must be clear. We ought to provide students with a specific rule to play, such as
how to play, the requirements, the number of participants, time limitation, scores in
each question. Rules ensure that a game is played fair and in proper terms. It also
helps participants fullfil the task quickly and have higher scores. Without rules, the
game could be chaos.

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3.1.2. Interaction

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Types of interaction in a game are indispendable and flexible according to different
games. Besides, students can work in which types depend on the aims and the
requirements of the games.

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 Individual work

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Here are some prevalent classroom interaction patterns:

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 Pair work
 Group work
 Full-class interaction
3.1.3. Time limitation to tackle the games and show the results
We should make sure that we are providing your students with ample time to
complete the game. After being assigned tasks, students will have a suitable
amount of time to deal with them. In order for students to complete the game, we
should allow students to do tasks in a sufficient amount of time.
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After completing the tasks, students are asked to show the results to the class. In
fact, suggested games are applied in warm-up part at the beginning of the lesson.
Therefore, students should be allowed to play the game from 7 to 10 minutes in

length.

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3.1.4. Assessments

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The aim of suggested games is to stimulate students‟ involvement and excitement,
and to decide which team is the winner; hence, it is necessary to make a fair
assessment. When grading students‟ results, we should consider accuracy.

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Sometimes, with the activities needing the collaboration of the whole class rather
than the competition among individuals, pairs or groups, the teacher does not
necessarily give marks to each of the groups. Instead, the teacher can give them
some lovely and meaningful rewards in recognition of their active involvement.

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3.1.5. Selecting target synonyms and antonyms

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Synonyms and antonyms presented in the games are reasonably chosen related to
the topics or units that students are studying in textbook at that time. By this way,
students will effectively revise vocabulary and deal with assigned synonym and
antonym exercises after class with lots of motivation.

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3.1.6. Procedure

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Giving procedure aims at concretizing the process of the game, which certainly
assists the teacher and students to follow smoothly. Procedure with obvious steps
helps to avoid unworthy confusedness among the teacher and students during the
games.

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3.2. Some tips to help students effectively do the synonym –antonym questions
in the national high school graduation exam.

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Here are some test-taking strategies that can help students effectively approach
synonyms and antonyms questions:

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expand

B. strengthen

C. diminish

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Ex: Identify the synonym of the word "abate."
A.

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3.2.1. Identify root words: Many English words have roots that can help students
identify synonyms and antonyms.
D. boost

"Abate" comes from the Latin word "battuere," meaning "to beat." Knowing this,
we can eliminate answer choices that are obviously unrelated to beating, such as
"expand", "strengthen" and “boost”. The correct answer is C "diminish."
3.2.2. Look for context clues: Sometimes, the context of a sentence can provide
clues to the meaning of a word.
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Ex: Find synonyms of the underlined phrase

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She simply took it for granted that the check was good and did not ask him any
questions about it.

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B. accepted it without investigation

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A. looked it over

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C. objected to it

D. permitted it

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The phrase idiom takes it for granted (i.e., taking something for granted) will
probably be difficult for many students with little knowledge of idioms. However,
students can guess the meaning thanks to the suggestions in the sentence: “the
check was good and did not ask him any questions about it” will directly suggest
to the Idiom that we are looking for meaning.

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The sentence means “She didn't ask him any questions about the check because
she just assumed it was valid”.

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The correct answer is B: “accepted it without investigation”

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3.2.3. Use process of elimination: On standardized exams, students can often
eliminate answer choices that are obviously incorrect, even if they don't know the
meaning of all the words. This can increase the likelihood of guessing correctly.

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Ex: Identify the antonym of the word "enhance" in this sentence:

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Many women prefer to use cosmetics to enhance their beauty and make them look
younger.
C. worsen

D. enrich

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B. maximize

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A. improve

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Students may not know the meaning of "enhance" but they can eliminate answer
choices that are obviously synonyms, such as "improve ", “enrich” and
"maximize".

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The correct answer is C “worsen”.

A thesaurus can provide synonyms for "enormous," such as "gigantic," "huge," and
"immense." The correct answer may depend on the specific context of the
question.
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Ex: Identify a synonym of the word "enormous"

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3.2.5. Use a thesaurus: Students can use a thesaurus to find synonyms and
antonyms for unfamiliar words. This can help them to better understand the
meaning of a word and answer questions correctly.

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3.2.4. Pay attention to prefixes and suffixes: Many English words have prefixes
and suffixes that can change the meaning of the word. For example, the prefix "un" can change a word from a positive to a negative meaning (e.g. "happy" vs.
"unhappy").

sa
ng
ki
en

Some suggestions on synonym and antonym websites:
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

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ki



nh

hi

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em

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do



ng



w

3.2.6. Directly replace the given options on the underlined

n

Students can replace the provided answers on the underlined words with their own
knowledge to find the most logical explanation, and then select the right option.

lo

ad

th

Ex. Identify the antonym of the word "distractions"

yj

B. unawareness

C. unconcern

ip

A. attention

uy

I find it hard to work at home because there are too many distractions.
D. carelessness

la

an

lu

We can easily grasp from our own experience that there are many things at home
that can distract us from work: TV, phone, noise…..to confirm speculations about
distractions.

n

va

The correct answer is A. “attention”.

fu

ll

3.3. Suggested techniques to teach synonyms and antonyms

oi
at

nh

a. Aim:

m

3.3.1. Synonym/ Antonym Bingo Game

z

- Help students to get motivated at the start of the lesson and eager to do
synonyms and antonyms exercises related to the topic they are studying

z

vb

co

l.
ai

c. Interaction: individual work

gm

b.Time: 8 minutes

k

jm

ht

- Help students to more clearly define their goals and spread the vocabulary
learning spirit especially English synonyms and antonyms

d. Procedure:

m

Step 1: The teacher introduces the rule of the game.
- The teacher holds the word list containing the words students have learned
- The teacher gives each student a card (Bingo board) with 9 squares containing

synonyms/ antonyms of the words in the teacher's list
- The teacher asks students to work individually to find corresponding
synonyms/antonyms for the word the teacher reads and mark it with a cross
11

sa
ng
ki
en

ki

- The teacher reads the words in turn. If the student finds 3 words forming a
vertical/horizontal/diagonal line or finds 4 points in the 4 corners, the player shouts
“Bingo” and wins.

nh

ng

hi

- The teacher notes that students do not mark the word that the teacher reads,
only its synonyms/antonyms.

em

do

Step 2: Students work on the game

w

Step 3: Students show the results or the teacher collects them from students

n

lo

Step 4: Students and the teacher give comments, feedback and declare the winners
(marks or gifts are given to students if necessary).

ad

th

yj

Step 5: The teacher provides tips to do synonyms and antonyms exercises for
students (as mentioned in part 3.2 above)

uy

ip

Step 6: The teacher assigns synonyms and antonyms exercises to students to fullfil
at home

la

an

lu

Step 7: The teacher checks students’ homework and corrects the answers in the
following lessons.

va

n

- The teacher asks each student to make comments on the others‟ homework.

fu

ll

- The teacher makes comments on the students‟ homework and may give marks.

oi
at

nh

a. Aim:

m

3.3.2. Synonym/antonym crosswords

z

- Encourage students to actively do vocabulary tasks at the start of the lesson
and complete synonyms and antonyms exercises related to the topic they are
studying

z

vb

ht

k

jm

- Have students define clearly their goals and inspire the vocabulary learning
spirit especially English synonyms and antonyms

l.
ai

gm

b.Time: 7 minutes

m

co

c. Interaction: group work
d. Procedure:
Step 1: The teacher introduces the rule of the game.
-The teacher prepares a power point lesson thoroughly containing the words
students have learned
-The teacher asks students to play the "Do the Crossword" game in groups to
discover the synonyms or antonyms of the given words in an example sentence to
finish the crossword.
12

sa
ng
ki
en

ki

-The teacher gives groups 5 points for each accurate answer. The group that
discovers the crossword's key word will receive 20 points. The group with the most
points at the end will be the winner.

nh

ng

hi

Step 2: Students work in groups on the game

em

Step 3: Students answer the questions behind the numbers they choose

do

Step 4: Students and the teacher give comments, feedback and declare the winners
(marks or gifts are given to students if necessary).

w

n

lo

Step 5: The teacher provides tips to do synonyms and antonyms exercises for
students (as mentioned in part 3.2 above)

ad

th

yj

Step 6: The teacher assigns synonyms and antonyms exercises to students to fullfil
at home

uy

ip

Step 7: The teacher checks students’ homework and corrects the answers in the
following lessons.

la

an

lu

- The teacher asks each student to make comments on the others‟ homework.

ll
oi

m

a. Aim:

fu

3.3.3. Synonym/ Antonym matching game

n

va

- The teacher makes comments on the students‟ homework and may give marks.

at

nh

- Stimulate students to join vocabulary tasks at the start of the lesson and fullfil
synonyms and antonyms exercises related to the topic they are studying

z

- Help students define clearly their goals and boost the vocabulary learning spirit
especially English synonyms and antonyms

z

k

jm

ht

c. Interaction: full class and pair work

vb

b.Time: 10 minutes

Step 1: The teacher introduces the rule of the game.

- The teacher has students stand up and move around the classroom to locate their
partners who have the equivalent synonyms.

- The teacher sets the time for students to finish the game
- The teacher may ask students to pair up and write more synonyms for their
words if they finish the game in a short time.
Step 2: Students work in full class and in pairs on the game
13

m

- The teacher instructs students to choose a card containing the words students
have learned

co

l.
ai

gm

d. Procedure:

sa
ng
ki
en

Step 3: Students try to match up with their partners who have synonyms

ki

nh

Step 4: Students and the teacher give comments, feedback and declare the winners
(marks or gifts are given to students if necessary).

ng

hi

Step 5: The teacher provides tips to do synonyms and antonyms exercises for
students (as mentioned in part 3.2 above)

em

do

Step 6: The teacher assigns synonyms and antonyms exercises to students to fullfil
at home

w

n

lo

Step 7: The teacher checks students’ homework and corrects the answers in the
following lessons.

ad

th

- The teacher asks each student to make comments on the others‟ homework.

yj

uy

- The teacher makes comments on the students‟ homework and may give marks.

ip

3.3.4. Writing 3 synonyms/ antonyms and passing around

la
an

lu

a. Aim:

n

va

- Enhance students to work together at the beginning of the lesson and finish
synonyms and antonyms tasks related to the topic they are studying

ll

fu

- Have students define clearly their goals and increase the vocabulary learning
passion especially English synonyms and antonyms

oi

m

b.Time: 9 minutes

z
z
vb

Step 1: The teacher introduces the rule of the game.

at

d. Procedure:

nh

c. Interaction: group work

ht
k

-The teacher divides the class into groups of 4

jm

-The teacher has a list of target vocabulary scattered around a piece of paper

-The teacher sets the time for students to finish the game
Step 2: Students work in groups on the game
Step 3: Students try to write as many synonyms as possible
Step 4: Students and the teacher give comments, feedback and declare the winners
with the most synonyms/antonyms (marks or gifts are given to students if
14

m

-The teacher requires students to repeat till there are no words left on the paper.

co

-The teacher asks students to write down synonyms or antonyms for any 3 of the
words given and then pass the paper to their group mates.

l.
ai

gm

-The teacher hands out one copy for each group.

sa
ng

ki
en

necessary).

ki

nh

Step 5: The teacher provides tips to do synonyms and antonyms exercises for
students (as mentioned in part 3.2 above)

ng

hi

Step 6: The teacher assigns synonyms and antonyms exercises to students to fullfil
at home

em

do

Step 7: The teacher checks students’ homework and corrects the answers in the
following lessons.

w

n

lo

- The teacher asks each student to make comments on the others‟ homework.

ad

- The teacher makes comments on the students‟ homework and may give marks.

th

yj

Note: This activity involves cooperation and is quite stress-free even for low level
or struggling students. As they choose the words themselves, they can pick up the
ones they know and feel more confident about. Also, they can spot some new
words and copy it while working with their group mates.

uy

ip

la

an

lu

3.4. Some samples

fu

a. Aim:

n

va

3.4.1. Antonym Bingo Game for Unit 10 (Endangered species) – Class 12A8

ll

- Help students to get motivated at the start of the lesson and eager to do antonyms
exercises related to the topic “Endangered species” they are studying.

oi

m

nh

at

- Help students to more clearly define their goals of remembering antonyms in
Unit 10 and spread the vocabulary learning spirit especially English antonyms.

z

k

jm

ht

d. Procedure:

vb

c. Interaction: individual work

z

b.Time: 8 minutes

- The teacher asks students to work individually to find corresponding antonyms
for the word the teacher reads and mark it with a cross
- The teacher reads the words in turn. If the student finds 3 words forming a
vertical/horizontal/diagonal line or finds 4 points in the 4 corners, the player shouts
“Bingo” and wins.
15

m

- The teacher gives each student a card (Bingo board) with 9 squares containing
antonyms of the words in the teacher‟s list

co

- The teacher holds the word list containing the words relating Unit 10 that
students have learned

l.
ai

gm

Step 1: The teacher introduces the rule of the game.

sa
ng
ki
en

ki

- The teacher notes that students do not mark the word that the teacher reads, only
its antonyms.

nh
ng
hi
em
do
w
n
lo
ad
th
yj
uy

ip
la
an

lu
n

va

Teacher‟s word list

ll

fu

common, preserve, secure, sea creatures,

oi

m

in danger, vanish, protect, variety, damage

at

nh
z
z
vb
jm

ht

Antonyms Bingo Board

k

polluted

disappear

eliminate

destruction

save

endangered

on the verge

m

co

l.
ai

diversity

gm

rare

Step 2: Students work on the game
Step 3: Students show the results or the teacher collects them from students

16

sa

ng

ki

en

ki

nh

ng

hi

em

do

w

n

lo

ad

th

yj

uy

ip

la

an

lu

n

va

ll

fu

oi

m

at

nh

z

z

vb

k

jm

ht

m

co

l.
ai

gm

17

sa

ng

ki

en

ki

nh

ng

hi

em

do

w

n

lo

ad

th

yj

uy

ip

la

an

lu

n

va

ll

fu

oi

m

at

nh

z

z

vb

k

jm

ht

m

co

l.
ai

gm

18

sa
ng
ki
en

ki

Step 4: Students and the teacher give comments, feedback and declare the
winners

nh

ng

Results: The winner - DUONG - gets mark 10 (the fastest to shout BINGO)

hi

The winner - LIEN - gets mark 9 (the second fastest to shout BINGO)

em

The winner - BAO - gets mark 8 (the third fastest to shout BINGO)

do

Step 5: The teacher provides tips to do antonyms exercises for students

w

Identify root words
Look for context clues
Use process of elimination
Pay attention to prefixes and suffixes
Use a thesaurus
Directly replace the given options on the underlined

n

lo

ad

th

yj

uy








ip

la

Step 6: The teacher assigns antonyms exercises to students to fullfil at home

an

lu

Choose the word(s) OPPOSITE in meaning to the underlined word(s) in each
of the following questions.

va

n

Question 1: You can see different kinds of rare animals in this park.
C. common

D. limited

ll

B. half-cooked

fu

A. priceless

m

oi

Question 2: Each year about fifty hundred species of plants and animals are
already being eliminated.
C. kicked

D. preserve

z

B. removed

at

nh

A. dropped

z

B. dangerous

C. secure

D. indefensible

jm

ht

A. extinct

vb

Question 3: The African rhino is an endangered species and needs protecting.

k

Question 4: The seashore was much polluted because of the amount of waste left
there. All this rubbish is killing fish and other marine life.
C. damaged

D. pure

B. in danger

C. in security

D. in risk

Question 6: Life on Earth is disappearing fast and will continue to do so unless
urgent action is taken.
A. vanishing

B. damaging

C. polluting

D. appearing

Question 7: We have to apply effective measures to save many plant and animal
species from extinction.
19

m

A. at stake

co

Question 5: We should do something to protect animals which are on the verge of
extinction.

l.
ai

B. dirty

gm

A. endangered

sa
ng
ki
en

A. conserve

B. preserve

C. hunt

D. protect

ki

nh

Question 8: Humans depend on species diversity to provide food, clean air and
water, and fertile soil for agriculture.

ng

B. arrival

hi

A. uniformity

C. appearance

D. variety

em

do

Question 9: Hunting for meat and burning forests for soil cause destruction to
wildlife

w
n

A. organization

B. protection

C. damage

D. elimination

lo

Step 7: The teacher checks students’ homework and corrects the answers in the
following lessons.

ad

th

yj

- The teacher asks each student to make comments on the others‟ homework.

uy

- The teacher makes comments on the students‟ homework and may give marks.

ip

2.D

3.C

4.D

5.C

6.D

7.C

8.A

9.B

an

lu

1.C

la

Key for the homework:
3.4.2. Antonym crosswords game for Unit 11 (Books) - 12A11

n

va

a. Aim:

fu

ll

- Encourage students to actively do vocabulary tasks at the start of the lesson and
complete antonyms exercises related to the topic “Books” they are studying

oi

m

at

nh

- Have students define clearly their goals of remembering antonyms in Unit 11
and inspire the vocabulary learning spirit especially English antonyms

vb

m

co

l.
ai

-The teacher prepares a power point lesson thoroughly containing the words
students have learned

gm

Step 1: The teacher introduces the rule of the game.

k

jm

ht

d. Procedure:

z

c. Interaction: group work

z

b.Time: 7 minutes

-The teacher divides the class into 2 big teams
-The teacher asks students to take turns to choose one of the 5 numbers and find
the antonyms of the given words behind the numbers. Teacher does one number as
an example for students.
-The teacher gives groups 5 points for each accurate answer. The group that
discovers the crossword's key word will receive 20 points. The group with the most
points at the end will be the winner.
Find the ANTONYMS for the words:
20

sa
ng

ki
en

ki
nh

ng

Unpleasant
Taste
Pick it up
Bored with
Ordinary

hi

em

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Step 2: Students work in groups on the game

do

w

Step 3: Students answer the questions behind the numbers they choose

n

Step 4: Students and the teacher give comments, feedback and declare the winners

lo
ad

Results:

th

Group 1 wins the game with 25 points, and receives a box of sweets as a prize.

yj
uy

CROSSWORDS:

ip
la

N

J

O

Y