THE IMPORTANCE OF SEMANTICS IN THE TEACIllNG OF LANGUAGE

Abstract

Many linguists have adopted the name semantics
to refer to the study of meaning of natural languages.
Specialists in differentflelds have recognized the role
semantics plays in language. At the same time other
noted scholars have expressed different views about
the place of semantics in the study of the grammar of
a language. There are argumentsfor and against the
importance of the meaning componnnt of the natural
languages which were expressed by the structural,
transformational generative, and semantic schools.
The views presented in each of these cases seem to
oppose one another even after some have revised their
original ideas. These and the impotant role semantics
plays in the communication process have very
significant pedagogical implications to the practising
language teacher.