Jordanian EFL Learners’ Comprehension and Production of Synonyms

Ronza  Abu Rumman

doi:10.35516/Hum.2026.13512

Authors

Ronza Abu Rumman Department of English Language and Literature, University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6531-2425

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.35516/Hum.2026.13512

Keywords:

collocation, negative transfer, overgeneralization, synonyms, semantic approximation

Abstract

Objectives: This paper reports on the findings of a study examining Jordanian EFL learners’ receptive and productive knowledge of using synonyms in English.

Methods: Two main tasks were administered by the researcher to elicit data for the current study. The first task, which consisted of 10 multiple choice items followed by four synonymous words, was designed to assess the participants’ ability to recognize the correct English synonym in contextualized sentences. The second task, which consisted of 10 words selected systematically from the glossary of English for Adults: Course book, was developed to evaluate the subjects’ ability to provide synonyms for the given words.

Results: The study revealed that Jordanian EFL learners encounter a serious difficulty in using synonyms both on the receptive and productive levels because of their limited knowledge of English in general and of the semantic differences and the collocation restrictions of synonyms in particular. Besides, the main findings showed that the major sources of errors on the receptive level are transfer of training, negative transfer, and overgeneralization. On the other hand, the main sources of errors on the productive level are negative transfer, semantic approximation, and confusion of words on the ground of formal similarity.

Conclusions: The study concluded with some pedagogical implications for ESL/EFL teachers in the context of teaching English synonyms.

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