Evaluation project: seminar in general

linguistics, semester 5, 2023/2024,

Mateusz Piwowarski
Ambiguity in lexical semantics refers to the multiple meanings that a
word can have, leading to potential misunderstandings and challenges in
natural language processing. Understanding and addressing this issue is
essential for improving language understanding and interpretation.
• Lexical Semantics Studies: Examine how words acquire and convey
multiple meanings in different contexts.
• Corpus Linguistics: Analyze large datasets to identify instances of word
ambiguity and study its frequency and distribution.
• Psycholinguistics Approaches: Investigate how individuals process and
disambiguate words with multiple meanings in real-time.
• Research Approach/Methodology: Corpus-based analysis of word
usage in various contexts, supplemented with psycholinguistic
experiments to explore how individuals interpret ambiguous words.
Additionally, computational linguistics methods, such as natural
language processing algorithms, can be employed to study patterns of
word sense disambiguation.
• Branch/Area of Linguistics: Lexical Semantics, a subfield of Semantics
within the broader field of Linguistics.
Motivation for Educational Context:
• Reading Comprehension: Ambiguity in lexical semantics can pose
challenges for students in understanding texts, impacting reading
comprehension.
• Language Processing Skills: Enhancing awareness of word ambiguity
helps learners develop effective language processing skills.
Application in Education:
• Vocabulary Instruction: Educators can incorporate awareness of word ambiguity in vocabulary lessons,
teaching students to recognize and navigate multiple meanings.
• Reading Strategies: Teachers can guide students in employing effective strategies for dealing with
ambiguity in texts, improving reading comprehension.
• Language Assessment: Designing assessments that measure students' ability to disambiguate words in
context, providing insights into their language processing skills.
• Improved Language Understanding: Addressing ambiguity in lexical
semantics contributes to more accurate and nuanced language
comprehension.
• Enhanced Communication Skills: Awareness of word ambiguity fosters
effective communication skills, enabling learners to navigate complex
linguistic contexts.
• Studying ambiguity in lexical semantics within the realm of lexical
semantics is crucial for educators to enhance language instruction and
improve students' language processing skills. This knowledge is
particularly valuable in educational contexts as it directly impacts
reading comprehension and communication skills, key components of
language learning and proficiency. Teachers, equipped with an
understanding of word ambiguity, can tailor their instructional
strategies to better prepare students for effective language use.