Top 6 Best Lesson Plans on 'The Development of Vocabulary' for 9th Grade

1. Exercise 1, Pages 56-57, Textbook

The word 'foot' in the following sentences has multiple meanings. Identify:

- In which sentence is 'foot' used in its original sense?

- In which sentence is 'foot' used metaphorically?

- In which sentence is 'foot' used metonymically?

a)

The pouch of moonlight fills, trailing behind a few little children.

(Nguyễn Du, The Tale of Kiều)

b) Five students from class 9A are part of the school's team for the 'Phù Đổng Sports Festival'.

c)

Though others may talk sideways, I stand firm like a three-legged stool.

(Folk Saying)

d)

Gazing at the sad, wilted grass, the foot of the sky meets the green earth.

(Nguyễn Du, The Tale of Kiều)

Answer:

In phrases like 'human foot' or 'animal foot', 'foot' is used in its literal sense. First, find out which sentence uses 'foot' in this sense. Then, identify whether in the other sentences 'foot' refers to something similar or closely related to a human or animal foot, indicating metaphorical or metonymic usage.

2. Exercise 2, Page 57, Textbook

The Vietnamese Dictionary defines 'tea' as follows: Tea: the buds or leaves of the tea plant that have been processed for brewing. Brew tea. A good teapot. A week's worth of tea. Based on this, analyze the meaning of 'tea' in phrases such as: artichoke tea, ginseng tea, lingzhi tea, lotus seed tea, and bitter melon tea.

Answer:

Consider whether the word 'tea' in phrases like artichoke tea, ginseng tea, lingzhi tea, lotus seed tea, and bitter melon tea retains its original meaning, as defined in the Vietnamese Dictionary.

3. Exercise 3, Page 57, Textbook

The Vietnamese Dictionary gives the original meaning of 'clock' as follows:

Clock: a device used to measure time precisely. Wristwatch. Alarm clock. Given terms like: electric clock, water clock, gasoline clock, explain the shifted meaning of 'clock'.

Answer:

To explain the shifted meaning of 'clock' in terms like electric clock, water clock, and gasoline clock, examine whether the word retains its original meaning and how the object it measures has changed.

4. Exercise 4, Page 57, Textbook

Provide examples to show that words like 'syndrome', 'bank', 'fever', and 'king' have multiple meanings.

Answer:

First, find examples that show the original meanings of words like 'syndrome', 'bank', 'fever', and 'king'. Then, identify sentences where these words are used in their transferred meanings.

For instance, 'syndrome' originally means 'a collection of symptoms that appear together in a disease', e.g., 'Acute respiratory syndrome is very complex.' However, in sentences like 'Inflation and unemployment are symptoms of economic recession', 'syndrome' is used metaphorically to describe a set of phenomena indicating a larger social issue.

5. Exercise 5, Page 57, Textbook

Provide examples to demonstrate that words like 'syndrome', 'bank', 'fever', and 'king' have multiple meanings.

Read the following two lines of poetry:

Every day the sun passes over the tomb, Seeing a very red sun inside the tomb.

(Viễn Phương, Visiting Uncle Ho's Tomb)

What literary device is used with the word 'sun' in the second line? Can this be considered an example of a word's original meaning evolving into multiple meanings? Why or why not?

Answer:

In these two lines, the poet refers to Hồ Chí Minh as the sun, based on a metaphorical connection between Hồ Chí Minh and the sun, as felt by the poet.

To determine whether this is an example of a word's original meaning evolving into multiple meanings, assess whether the shift in the meaning of 'sun' adds a new interpretation that is now recognized in the dictionary.

6. Exercise 6

Read the following lines by Nguyễn Trãi:

Each day I watch the flowers fall and lock the door, At night, I bring the birds back to the thousand hills.

(Quốc âm thi tập)

Are there any words in these lines you don't understand? Why?

Answer:

In Nguyễn Trãi's lines, there are some archaic words that are no longer used in modern Vietnamese, making them difficult to understand for most people today.

7. Exercise 7

The word 'khuất tất' originally means 'to kneel, to bow'. In the sentence 'The company's business activities have many hidden aspects.', what does it mean? How would you explain this shift?

Answer:

In the sentence 'The company's business activities have many hidden aspects.', the word 'khuất tất' no longer means 'to kneel or bow', but instead refers to something dishonest, unclear, or opaque. The original meaning is no longer in use, and this could be considered an old meaning.

8. Exercise 8

In the phrases: 'In August, the weather is hot' and 'He has a hot temper', what can you say about the meanings of 'hot' in each case? What is the method of meaning development from 'hot1' to 'hot2' called?

Answer:

The meaning of 'hot' has developed metaphorically, based on the similarity between the heat of the weather and the heat of a temperament. This is an example of meaning development through metaphor.

9. Exercise 9

When saying 'In the 2008-2009 term, Vietnam held a non-permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council', what does the word 'seat' mean?

Answer:

To solve this exercise, students need to recognize that a metonymic shift has occurred, where 'seat' refers to the position and functions of the person in that position (Vietnam).

I. The Evolution and Development of Word Meaning

Example 1: In the poem "Entering Quang Dong Prison" by Phan Boi Chau (Vietnamese Literature 8, Volume 1), there is a line: "Spreading hands to embrace the economic basket."

What does the word "economic" mean in this context?

Do we understand this word the same way Phan Boi Chau used it back then?

What conclusions can be drawn about the meaning of the word from this?

Answer:

In this poem, "economic" refers to "governing the country and saving the world." (Governing the nation and saving the world.)
Nowadays, the term "economic" is no longer understood as Phan Boi Chau used it, but refers to the overall activities of humans in labor, production, exchange, distribution, and utilization of created material wealth.
From this, we conclude that the Vietnamese vocabulary is continuously expanding and evolving.

Example 2: Carefully read the following sentences (extracted from the poem Truyen Kieu by Nguyen Du), paying attention to the bolded words:

a. - Near and far, they are eagerly celebrating the spring festival,

The girls prepare to go out and enjoy the spring. (1)

Leading the talented scholars and beautiful women,

Horses and carriages are abundant, clothes and hats are as numerous as grains of rice.

- The spring (2) is still long for you,

Sorrow for blood ties replaces the words for the nation.

b. - A word of advice lifts the heart,

She handed over the golden ring and red scarf. (1)

- The old house was full of activity,

And the butchers were trading with the "hands" of human trafficking. (2)

Look up the meanings of the words "spring" and "hand" in a Vietnamese dictionary and determine which meanings are literal and which are metaphorical. If there are metaphorical meanings, identify the type of metaphor used.

Answer:

Spring (1): The season transitioning from winter to summer, usually considered the start of the year. (Literal meaning)
Spring (2): Refers to youth. (Metaphorical meaning)
- Metaphor formed through analogy.

Hand (1): The body part from the shoulder to the fingers, used for gripping. (Literal meaning)
Hand (2): A person skilled or involved in a specific profession or activity. (Metaphorical meaning)
- Metaphor formed through metonymy.

Remember:

With the development of society, the vocabulary of the language is also constantly evolving. One way in which Vietnamese vocabulary grows is through the development of words from their basic meanings.
There are two main methods by which word meanings develop: metaphor and metonymy.

Practice

Question 1: The word "foot" in the following sentences is a polysemous word. Determine:

In which sentence is "foot" used in its literal meaning?

In which sentence is "foot" used metaphorically via analogy?

In which sentence is "foot" used metaphorically via metonymy?

a. The winds and moon glow behind me,

Following my feet with a few little children.

(Nguyen Du, Truyen Kieu)

b. Five students from class 9A are members of the school's team for the "Phu Dong Health Festival".

c. No matter what people say,

We remain as strong as a three-legged stool.

(Folk Poem)

d. Looking sadly at the green grass,

The feet of the clouds meet the green earth.

(Nguyen Du, Truyen Kieu)

Answer:

In sentence (a), "foot" is used in its literal meaning.
In sentence (b), "foot" is used metaphorically through metonymy.
In sentence (c), "foot" is used metaphorically through analogy.
In sentence (d), "foot" is used metaphorically through analogy.

Question 2: The Vietnamese Dictionary defines the word "tea" as:

Tea: The leaves or buds of the tea plant that have been processed and prepared for brewing. Brew tea. A good teapot. A week of tea.

Based on the above definition, provide comments on the use of the word "tea" in the following phrases: artichoke tea, ginseng tea, Lingzhi tea, lotus seed tea, bitter melon tea.

Answer:

Comment: "Tea" is used metaphorically – a product from plants that is processed into a dried form and used to brew a drink.
The metaphorical meaning follows the analogy method.

Question 3: The Vietnamese Dictionary defines the core meaning of the word "clock" as:

Clock: A device used to measure time precisely. Wristwatch. Alarm clock.

Given the uses of "clock" in expressions like electric clock, water clock, gas clock, what is the metaphorical meaning of the word "clock"?

Answer:

In expressions like electric clock, water clock, gas clock, the word "clock" is used metaphorically, following the analogy method, to refer to instruments used to measure different things that resemble clocks in appearance.

Question 4: Find examples that demonstrate that the words "syndrome," "bank," and "fever" are polysemous.

Answer:

Syndrome:

Literal meaning: A collection of symptoms occurring together in a disease.
Example: The syndrome of acute respiratory infections is very complicated.
Metaphorical meaning: A collection of phenomena or events representing a social issue that appears in many places.
Example: The Vietnam War syndrome
The "envelope" syndrome

Bank:

Literal meaning: A financial institution involved in monetary and credit transactions.
Example: The Vietnam Foreign Trade Bank.
Metaphorical meaning: A collection or storage of items.
Example: Blood bank, gene bank, exam question bank, etc.

Fever:

Literal meaning: An abnormally high body temperature caused by illness.
Example: He had a fever of 40 degrees.
Metaphorical meaning: A sudden surge in demand that makes a commodity scarce and its price rise.
Example: Land fever, electronics fever, etc.

King:

Literal meaning: The head of a monarchy.
Example: In 1010, King Ly Thai To moved the capital to Thang Long.
Metaphorical meaning: A person regarded as the best in a particular field, often in business, sports, or the arts.
Example: The king of oil, the king of cars, the king of football, the king of rock music, etc.

Question 5: Read the following two lines of poetry:

Day by day, the sun passes over the mausoleum,

And there is another sun on the mausoleum, so red.

(Viễn Phương, Visiting Uncle Ho's Mausoleum)

The word "sun" in the second line is used with which literary device? Can this be considered an example of a word's original meaning evolving into multiple meanings? Why or why not?

Answer:

The poet uses "sun" metaphorically to refer to President Ho Chi Minh, comparing him to the sun due to the emotional and symbolic relationship established by the poet.
This is not an example of the development of a word's meaning, as the metaphorical use of "sun" in the poem is temporary and does not add a permanent new meaning to the word that would be recorded in a dictionary.

I. The Evolution and Development of Word Meanings

1. Question 1/55 from Grade 9 Textbook, Volume 1

Economy (historical): managing the nation and world
Economy (current): activities related to production and business
-> Observation: the transformation and development of word meanings.

2. Question 2/55 from Grade 9 Textbook, Volume 1

a. Spring: Transferred meaning - metaphor

b. Merchant: Transferred meaning - metonymy

-> Two methods of meaning transfer: metaphor, metonymy

II. Exercises on Vocabulary Development

1. Question 1/56 from Grade 9 Textbook, Volume 1

a. Original meaning

b. Transferred meaning - Metonymy

c. Transferred meaning - Metaphor

d. Transferred meaning - Metaphor

2. Question 2/56 from Grade 9 Textbook, Volume 1

Transferred meaning (metaphor)

3. Question 3/56 from Grade 9 Textbook, Volume 1

Transferred meaning (metaphor)

4. Question 4/56 from Grade 9 Textbook, Volume 1

a. Syndrome

Original meaning: A set of symptoms appearing together in a disease.
Example: Depression syndrome

Transferred meaning: A set of phenomena or events representing a societal issue, appearing in multiple places.
Example: Inflation, unemployment are syndromes of economic recession.

b. Bank

Original meaning: An economic institution dealing with financial and credit services.
Example: Agricultural Bank

Transferred meaning: A storage system for body parts, like blood banks, or a data repository for easy access, like a database or exam bank.
Example: Blood bank, exam bank

c. Fever

Original meaning: An elevated body temperature due to illness.
Example: He has a fever of 40 degrees.

Transferred meaning: A rapid increase in demand, causing scarcity and price hikes.
Example: Fever for real estate, fever for rice...

d. King

Original meaning: The ruler of a monarchic state.
Example: King Ly Thai To.

Transferred meaning: The leader or top figure in a particular field, such as business, sports, or art.
Example: Football king, oil king, rock music king.

5. Question 5/56 from Grade 9 Textbook, Volume 1

The term "sun" in the second sentence is used as a metaphor. The poet compares Uncle Ho to the sun based on the similarity perceived. This is not an example of word development, as this metaphor is temporary and does not create a new, lasting meaning for the word, so it is not included in dictionaries for definition.

I. The Change and Evolution of Word Meanings

The word “economy” in the phrase "Bủa tay ôm chặt kinh tế" is a shortened version of "kinh bang tế thế", meaning the governance of the state and the salvation of the people.

- Today, the meaning of “economy” refers to a field of societal life: the production, exchange, distribution, and use of goods and wealth.

→ The meaning of words is not fixed; it can change and evolve over time, losing some aspects and gaining new meanings.

2. The word “spring”

+ Original meaning: the transition from winter to summer, with warmer weather, often seen as the beginning of the new year.

+ Transferred meaning: youth, or the time of being young.

The word “hand”

+ Original meaning: a body part from the shoulder to the fingers, used for holding and grasping.

+ Transferred meaning: skillful in a particular field or area of expertise.

→ Word meaning shifts can occur through metaphor and metonymy.

II. Practice

Question 1 (page 56, Literature textbook 9, Volume 1)

a. The word “foot” in its original meaning refers to a body part.

b. Transferred meaning through metonymy.

c. Transferred meaning through metaphor.

d. Transferred meaning, via metaphor.

Question 2 (page 56, Literature textbook 9, Volume 1)

Words like a-ti-sô tea, hà thủ ô, sâm tea, linh chi tea, tâm sen tea, khổ qua tea, etc., are used with transferred meanings through metaphor.

Exercise 3 (page 57, Literature textbook 9, Volume 1)

In phrases like “electric clock,” “water clock,” “fuel clock,” the word “clock” is used in a transferred sense through metaphor, representing instruments that measure something, resembling clocks in form.

Exercise 4 (page 57, Literature textbook 9, Volume 1)

a. Syndrome

- Original meaning: a collection of symptoms that appear together from a disease.

- Transferred meaning: a group of phenomena or events that indicate a certain situation or social issue, observed in multiple places.

b. Bank

- Original meaning: an economic institution involved in business operations, managing various financial activities.

- Transferred meaning: a storage place for body parts for future use or a collection of data related to a specific field or organization.

Fever: an abnormally high body temperature due to illness.

- Transferred meaning: a sudden increase in demand causing scarcity and a sharp rise in prices.

The word “King”

- Original meaning: The ruler or head of state, especially in feudal times.

- Transferred meaning: A person who excels in a specific field, such as business, arts, or sports.

Exercise 5 (page 57, Literature textbook 9, Volume 1)

The word “sun” in the second line of the poem is used metaphorically.

- This usage is a stylistic figure representing the poet’s unique creativity and does not convey the original meaning of the word in its transferred form through metaphor.

- It is a temporary transferred meaning, valid only in this particular context.

I. Basic Knowledge

1. Vocabulary is the most dynamic field of language. This is evident in the following ways:

- New meanings constantly emerge from existing ones.

- New words are created.

2. When a new meaning is formed without losing the old one, the word's meaning structure becomes more diverse, and we call it a polysemous word.

3. There are two ways of developing meanings: metaphor and metonymy.

4. Some transferred meanings were formed long ago, so they are no longer recognizable, while other transferred meanings are newly formed and still identifiable.

II. The Transformation and Development of Word Meanings
Question 1 (Page 55 of the 9th-grade Literature Textbook, Volume 1)
In the poem 'Entering the Quang Dong Prison' by Phan Boi Chau, the line 'Bua tay om chat bo kinh te' is used. What is the meaning of the word 'Kinh te' in this poem? Can we understand this word in the same way today? What conclusions can be drawn about the meaning of the word?

Answer
The word 'Kinh te' in the line 'Bua tay om chat bo kinh te' (Entering the Quang Dong Prison by Phan Boi Chau) is an abbreviation of the phrase 'Kinh bang te the', which means 'governing the country and saving the people'. Today, we do not use 'Kinh te' in this sense, but instead refer to the entire activity of humans in labor, production, exchange, distribution, and use of material wealth.

Thus, the meaning of a word can evolve, with the old meaning disappearing and a new one taking its place.

Question 2 (Page 55 of the 9th-grade Literature Textbook, Volume 1)
Read the following sentences (extracted from the poem 'The Tale of Kieu' by Nguyen Du), paying attention to the bolded words:

a.
Gần xa nô nức yến anh,
Chị em sắm sửa bộ hành chơi xuân.

Dập dìu tài tử giai nhân,

Ngựa xe như nước áo quần như nêm.
Ngày xuân em hãy còn dài,

Xót tình máu mủ, thay lời nước non.

b.
Được lời như cởi tấm lòng

Giở kim thoa với khăn hồng trao tay
Cũng như như hành viện xưa nay

Cũng phường bán thịt cũng tay buôn người.
What are the meanings of the words 'xuân' (spring) and 'tay' (hand) in the above sentences? Identify which meanings are the original and which are metaphorical. In cases of metaphorical meanings, identify the method of meaning transfer.

Answer
a) Xuân (spring) in 'playing spring' refers to the season that transitions from winter to summer, marking the beginning of the year (original meaning).
• Xuân (youth) in 'the spring of life' refers to youth (metaphorical meaning).
b) Tay (hand) in 'handing over the hand' refers to the part of the body from the wrist to the fingers, used for holding, grasping (original meaning).
• Tay (a person who is skilled at something) in 'a person who trades people' refers to a person who is proficient in a particular craft or profession (metaphorical meaning).

Practice
Question 1 (Page 56 of the 9th-grade Literature Textbook, Volume 1)
The word 'chân' (foot) is polysemous in the following sentences. Please identify:
- In which sentence does 'chân' carry its original meaning?
- In which sentence is 'chân' used metaphorically by means of metaphor?
- In which sentence is 'chân' used metaphorically by means of metonymy?
a. Đề huề lưng túi gió trăng,
Sau chân theo một vài thằng con con.
(Nguyễn Du, Truyện Kiều)
b. Năm em học sinh lớp 9A có chân trong đội tuyển của trường đi dự 'Hội khoẻ Phù Đổng'.
c. Dù ai nói ngả nói nghiêng,
Thì ta vẫn vững như kiềng ba chân.
(Ca dao)
d. Buồn trông nội cỏ rầu rầu,
Chân mây mặt đất một màu xanh xanh.
(Nguyễn Du, Truyện Kiều)
Identify the meanings of 'chân' in these sentences.

Answer
a) Chân (foot, in 'following behind') refers to the original meaning.
b) Chân (participant, in 'has a part in') is used metaphorically by means of metonymy.
c) Chân (part of a tripod, in 'stable like a three-legged stand') is used metaphorically by means of metaphor.
d) Chân (horizon, in 'foot of the sky') is used metaphorically by means of metaphor.

Question 2 (Page 57 of the 9th-grade Literature Textbook, Volume 1)
Based on the definitions above, provide an analysis of the word 'trà' (tea) in expressions such as 'Atiso tea', 'Hà thủ ô tea', 'Ginseng tea', 'Lingzhi tea', 'Lotus seed tea', and 'Bitter melon tea'.

Answer
Trà (tea, the original meaning) refers to the young leaves or buds of the tea plant that are processed for brewing tea.
• In expressions like Atiso tea, Hà thủ ô tea, Ginseng tea, Lingzhi tea, Lotus seed tea, and Bitter melon tea, 'trà' is used metaphorically, meaning a product made from plants that is processed into a dried form for brewing tea.

Question 3 (Page 57 of the 9th-grade Literature Textbook, Volume 1)
Based on the usage of the word 'đồng hồ' (clock) in phrases such as 'electric clock', 'water meter', 'fuel gauge', etc., analyze the metaphorical meaning of 'đồng hồ'.

Answer
Đồng hồ (clock, the original meaning) refers to a device used to measure time accurately.
• In expressions like 'electric clock', 'water meter', 'fuel gauge', 'đồng hồ' is used metaphorically by means of metaphor, referring to instruments that measure other variables (these devices resemble a clock in appearance).

Question 4 (Page 57 of the 9th-grade Literature Textbook, Volume 1)
Provide examples to demonstrate that words like 'syndrome', 'bank', 'fever', and 'king' are polysemous.

Answer
a) Hội chứng (syndrome, original meaning): a group of symptoms occurring together in a disease.
• Hội chứng (syndrome, metaphorical meaning): a group of phenomena or events reflecting a social issue, such as the 'syndrome of moral decline in schools'.
b) Ngân hàng (bank, original meaning): an organization dealing with monetary transactions.
• Ngân hàng (bank, metaphorical meaning): a storage facility, such as a 'blood bank' or 'question bank'.
c) Sốt (fever, original meaning): an abnormal rise in body temperature.
• Sốt (fever, metaphorical meaning): a sudden increase in demand, leading to shortages or rapid price hikes, as in 'property fever'.

Question 5 (Page 57 of the 9th-grade Literature Textbook, Volume 1)
The word 'mặt trời' (sun) in the second line of the poem uses which rhetorical device? Can it be considered a case of a word's original meaning developing into multiple meanings? Why?

Answer
The word 'mặt trời' (sun) in the second line of the poem is used as a metaphorical expression.
This is not an example of a word's original meaning evolving into multiple meanings, as the transfer of meaning in this case is temporary and specific to the context of the poem.