Original scientific paper
Mastering Synonyms in the School Period of Linguistic Development of the Speakers of the Croatian Language
Bernardina Petrović
Jelena Vignjević
Abstract
This paper explains the theoretical postulates of synonyms and of synonymy as a paradigmatic
relationship between the lexemes, and the process of mastering the synonyms
during the language development. Important prerequisites for mastering the synonyms are
certain levels of cognitive, meta-linguistic and, especially, meta-semantic and meta-pragmatic
knowledge and awareness, which are all mastered in later stages of the language
development; i.e. the beginning of the school age. Mastering the synonyms as a meta-linguistic
knowledge is stimulated by explicit learning. The conducted research has shown
that the knowledge of synonyms positively correlates with reading habits, encouraging
surroundings and the speaker’s exposure to foreign languages. It has also shown that the
skill of using synonyms in a creative narrative is affected by one’s reading habits and by
the number of foreign languages one adopts. These insights are a valuable contribution
to the study of mastering the Croatian language during the school age phase of language
development – especially of mastering the meta-linguistic knowledge. The results indicate
guidelines for a methodical approach to the linguistic curriculum during the preschool and
school age phases in linguistic development.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
153138
URI
Publication date:
1.1.2015.
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