Homonymy-related Errors: a Case Study Among English Majored Sophomores
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Homonymy is an essential feature of the English language. It often causes confusion and miscommunication for EFL learners. This study examines common difficulties second- year English majors at the Foreign Languages Department (FLD) encounter when using and understanding homonyms in learning and communication. A mixed-methods approach combined qualitative and quantitative analyses through document review, test-based questionnaires, and structured interviews. The results show that the most frequent errors include mispronouncing homographs, misspelling homophones, and misunderstanding the meanings of full homonyms. These errors mainly result from the complexity of homonymy, differences between English and the learners' native language, and the learners' limited knowledge of vocabulary, grammar, and context. The findings provide insights into these challenges and suggest ways to improve students' vocabulary learning and overall language skills. Keywords: Homonymy; homonyms; full homonyms; homophones; homographs pronunciation errors; spelling errors; vocabulary learning; language interference..
Authors: NGUYEN Phuong Lien, NGUYEN Thi Kim Anh, VO Khanh Linh, NGUYEN Thi Yen Vy
Language: English
Subfield: Developmental and Educational Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W4412471182