Blended Phonosemantic Approach (BPA) A Method to Address Faux-Amis in Second Language Acquisition
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Clinical Trial
Abstract: This study looks at how "false friends" (faux-amis), which are words that seem same in French and English but have different meanings, affect second language (L2) learners. Such phrases frequently generate problems, resulting in misinterpretations, vocabulary mistakes, and mispronunciations. Fifty-six French Higher Secondary students in Tamil Nadu's State Board who choose French as their optional second language (L2) provided the data. Thirty faux-amis were found via cross-linguistic research of the required textbook C'est Chic. The study investigated the effects of faux-amis on vocabulary acquisition, pronunciation, and semantic comprehension using a mixed-method paradigm. A manual pre-test revealed the main learner challenges: inappropriate word usage, phonological errors, and negative transfer from the mother tongue. A Blended Phonosemantic Approach (BPA) was used to address these. This method combines aspects of the Audio-Lingual Method, Contrastive Analysis, and Communicative Approach. BPA emphasizes the phonological and semantic aspects of faux-amis by integrating organized pronunciation drills, contextual interaction, and cross-linguistic awareness. Results from the post-test showed that learners had significantly improved their ability to use vocabulary, pronounce words correctly, and comprehend semantics. The study comes to the conclusion that L2 learners may overcome faux-amis with explicit training using BPA, which improves their lexical competence and communicative confidence.
Authors: Pavithra P, Govindarajan P
Institution: Vellore Institute of Technology University
Subfield: Developmental and Educational Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4416631563
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