A Corpus Linguistic Analysis of Selected Near Synonyms: Towards a Proposed Model of Corpus-Driven Vocabulary Learning

The study analyzed and described the differences and similarities of selected 21 pairs of near synonyms from the perspective of corpus linguistics. These pairs include accomplishment-feat, enemy-adversary, folk-kin, lesson-moral, luck-fortune, pleasure-delight, successor-heir, ablecapable, conventional-customary, kind-benevolent, sick-ailing, simple-plain, sudden-unexpected, weary-exhausted, decrease-diminish, eat-devour, fall-drop, help-assist, look-stare, rest-relax, and walk-stroll. It likewise drew implications for vocabulary learning based on the corpus linguistic analysis of near synonyms and proposed a model of corpus-driven vocabulary learning. Utilizing the Corpus of Contemporary American English as the source data and focusing on the frequency, semantic preference, semantic prosody, collocation, colligation, and language use of the near synonyms, the study shows that these near synonyms have fine-grained usage differences and they are not at all equivalent in their use. The study concludes that each pair, though labeled as synonymous does not, in fact, behave synonymously in the corpus; each has its own context of use. Their frequencies, semantic preferences, semantic prosodies, collocations, colligations, and language uses show that each of them developed its particular usage, in which they cannot be interchanged in all contexts. Moreover, the study recommends, among others, that a follow-up study be done to pilot/falsify/test the proposed model of corpus-driven vocabulary learning, by trying out the approach in actual language classrooms.