Types of Homonyms in Terminology and Ways of Teaching Them

Abstract

The central aim of this article is to introduce some ways of teaching homonymy typical of specialized texts. Homonymy will be treated regarding its types and new ways of teaching it will be examined closely. This article is based on a study conducted in Albanian forestry compared with English language. Specialized language is the universal language among specialists of a domain and it should leave no room for ambiguity. But in some texts, students come across a set of terms which appear homonymous. Homonymy requires a special importance and treatment because it causes problems with respect to specialists' communication if it isn't avoided. Identifying and studying homonymy serves students as future professionals not only to avoid it but also to communicate more efficiently and easily. Good communication means that the message that you wish to send is received by the intended recipients without being distorted in any manner. Finally, we have tried to present and recommend some effective ways to teach students and make them recognize homonyms whenever they encounter them.

Keywords: homonymy, specialized texts, lexical ambiguity, communication.