The Effect of Explicit Instruction of Collocations on EFL Learners’ Language Proficiency

Year 2018, Volume: 33 Issue: 4, 987 - 1001, 31.10.2018

Mohammad Hossein Keshavarz Parisa Taherıan

Abstract

This study investigated the impact
of explicit instruction of collocations on EFL learners’ English proficiency. To
this end, the performance of two groups of EFL learners in the form of time-series
assessment was compared. To ensure the homogeneity of the participants, a pretest
namely Preliminary English Test (PET) was administered. The teacher and the textbooks
for both groups were the same, however in the experimental group there was an explicit
emphasis on collocations in all four language skills. Moreover, these students were
required to keep track of collocations by taking careful notes and using them in
their productive skills in order to activate and internalize them. They were also
instructed to transcribe the listening passages of the textbook after the tests
were administered in class. The control group was only implicitly exposed to collocations.
Continuous formative assessment was used to keep track of the learners’ progress
towards reaching the intermediate proficiency level. To conclude the three-month
course, FCE (First Certificate in English) past-papers were given to both groups
and a comparison was drawn in their performance. The results indicated that the
experimental group outperformed the control group, suggesting that teaching collocations
explicitly may lead to improvement in language proficiency.

Keywords

Explicit instruction of collocations, EFL learners, test performance, proficiency exams

Eşdizimliliğin Belirgin Öğretim Yöntemiyle Öğretilmesinin İngilizce’yi Yabancı Dil Olarak Öğrenenlerin Dil Yeterliğine Etkisi

Abstract

Bu çalışma eşdizimliliğin belirgin öğretimi yöntemiyle İngilizce’yi yabancı dil olarak öğrenenlerin dil yeterliğine etkisini araştırmıştır. Bu amaçla,
iki öğrenci grubunun performansları zaman serisi değerlendirme biçiminde karşılaştırılmıştır. Katılımcıların homojenliğini sağlamak için, ön
test uygulanmıştır. Her iki grubun kitapları ve öğretmeni aynı olmuştur ancak deney
grubunda eşdizimlilik her dört dil becerisi için belirgin biçimde vurgulanmıştır. Buna ek olarak, bu öğrencilerden
eşdizimliliği kavramak ve yerleştirmek için dikkatli bir şekilde
not almaları ve kullanmaları istenmiştir. Ayrıca, testler uygulandıktan sonra dinleme
metinlerini yazıya aktarmaları istenmiştir. Eşdizimlilik kontrol grubundaki öğrencilere ise örtük bir şekilde
sunulmuştur. Öğrencilerin orta seviye yeterliliğe ulaşma sürecini takip edebilmek
için sürekli biçimlendirici değerlendirme kullanılmıştır. Üç ay süren dersin sonunda,
FCE (First Certificate in English) sınavının geçmiş örnekleri her iki gruba da uygulanmış
ve iki grubun performansları karşılaştırılmıştır. Sonuçlar deney grubunun kontrol
grubuna göre daha başarılı olduğunu göstermiştir. Bu sonuçlardan da eşdizimliliğin belirgin bir biçimde öğretilmesinin dil yeterliğinin gelişimine olumlu
katkı yapabileceği anlaşılmıştır.

Keywords

Eşdizimliliğin belirgin öğretim yöntemiyle öğretilmesi, yabancı dil olarak İngilizce öğrenenler, sınav performansı, yeterlik sınavları

References

• Altınok, Ş. İ. (2000). Teaching vocabulary using collocations versus using definitions in EFL classes. Unpublished master thesis, hsan Dogramacı Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey.
• Attar, E. M., & Allami, H. (2013). The effects of teaching lexical collocations on speaking ability of Iranian EFL learners. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 3(6), 1070-1079. doi:10.4304/tpls.3.6.1070-1079
• Bahns, J., & Eldaw, M. (1993). Should we teach EFL students collocations? System, 21, 101-114.
• Bahardoust, M., Raouf Moeini, M. (2012). Lexical grammatical collocations in writing production of EFL learners. The Journal of Applied Linguistics, 5(1), 61-86.
• Bogaards, P., & Laufer, B. (Eds.) (2004). Vocabulary in a second language: Selection, acquisition, and testing. Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publication Company.
• Bonk, W. (2000). Testing ESL learners' knowledge of collocations. ERIC DOC NO. ED 442309. Retrieved from: http://www.eric.ed.gov/storage_01/0000019b/80/16/43/0c.pdf
• Davies, P. A. & Falla, T. (2012). FCE Result. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Ebrahimi-Bazzaz, F., Arshad Abd, S., Ismi Arif, I., & Nooreen, N. (2015). Verb-noun collocations in spoken discourse of Iranian EFL learners. International Journal on Studies in English Language and Literature (IJSELL), 3(3), 41-50.
• Ebrahimi-Bazzaz, F., & Arshad-Abd, S. (2011). The use of verb-noun collocations in writing stories among Iranian EFL learners. English Language Teaching, 4(3), 158-163.
• Farghal, M., & Al-Hamly, M. (2007). Lexical collocations in EFL writing. The Journal of Asia TEFL, 4(2), 69-94.
• Farghal, M., & Obeidat, H. (1995). Collocations: A neglected variable in EFL. IRAL 33(4), 315-331.
• Firth, J. (1957). Modes of meaning. In J. Firth (Ed.), Papers in linguistics (pp. 262-280). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Gairns, R., & Redman, S. (2012). Oxford word skills intermediate. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Granger, S. (1998). Prefabricated patterns in advanced EFL writing: Collocations and formulae. In A. Cowie (Ed.), Phraseology, theory, analysis, and applications (pp. 145-160). Oxford: Clarendon Press.
• Hsu, J. T. (2010). The effects of collocation instruction on the reading comprehension and vocabulary learning of Taiwanese college English majors. The Asian EFL Journal, 12(1), 47-87.
• Hsu, J. T. (2007). Lexical collocations and their relation to the online writing of Taiwanese college English majors and non-English majors. Electronic Journal of Foreign Language Teaching, 4, 192-209.
• Hsu, J. T., & Chiu, C. Y. (2008). Lexical collocations and their relation to speaking proficiency of college EFL learners in Taiwan. The Asian EFL Journal, 10 (1), 181-204.
• Huang, L. (2007). Knowledge of English collocations: An analysis of Taiwanese EFL learners. In C. Luke & B. Rubrecht (Eds.), Texas papers in foreign language education: Selected proceedings from the Texas Foreign Language Education Conference (pp. 113-132). Texas: Texas University, Austin.
• Hussein, R. F. (1990). Collocations: The missing link in vocabulary acquisition amongst EFL learners. Papers and Studies in Contrastive Linguistics, 26(26), 123-136.
• James, C. (1998). Errors in language learning and use. London: Longman.
• Karami, M. (2013). Exploring effects of explicit Vs. implicit teaching of collocations on the writing performance of Iranian EFL learners. International Journal of Language Learning and Applied Linguistics World (IJLLALW), 4(4), 197-215.
• Kennedy, G. (2003). Amplifier collocations in the British National Corpus: Implications for English language teaching. TESOL Quarterly, 37, 467-487.
• Keshavarz, M. H., & Salimi, H. (2007). Collocational competence and cloze test performance: A study of Iranian EFL learners. International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 17(1), 81-92.
• Lewis, M. (1993). The lexical approach: The state of ELT and a way forward. London: Language Teaching Publications.
• Lewis, M. (1997). Implementing the lexical approach: Putting theory into practice. London: Language Teaching Publications.
• Lewis, M. (2000). Teaching collocation: Further developments in the lexical approach. London: Language Teaching Publications.
• Liu, C. P. (2000). An empirical study of collocation teaching. The Proceedings of the 17th International Symposium on English Teaching (pp. 165-178), Taipei: Crane.
• Macaro, E., & Masterman, L. (2006). Does intensive explicit grammar instruction make all the difference? Language Teaching Research, 10(3), 297-327.
• Mahmoud, A. (2005). Collocation errors made by Arab learners of English. The Asian EFL Journal, 6 (2), 117–126.
• McCarthy, M., & Felicity, O. (2008). English Collocations in Use. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Ming-chia Lin, K. S. C. (2014). Effects of explicit English-collocation instruction and vocabulary-learning motivation on L2 collocation and reading-recall performances. English Teaching and Learning, 38(1), 91-128.
• Nation, I. S. P. (2001). Learning vocabulary in another language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Nation, I. S. P. (2004). A study of the most frequent word families in the British National Corpus. In P. Bogaards, & B. Laufer, B. (Eds.), Vocabulary in a second language: Selection, acquisition, and testing (pp. 3-14). Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publication Company.
• Nattinger, J., & DeCarrico, J. (1992). Lexical phrases and language teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Nesselhauf, N. (2003). The use of collocations by advanced learners of English and some implications for teaching. Applied Linguistics, 24(2), 223-242.
• Norris, J. & Ortega, L. (2000). Effectiveness of L2 instruction: A research synthesis and quantitative meta-analysis. Language Learning, 50(3), 417-582.
• Reza, K., & Ashouri, S. (2016). The effect of lexical collocation instruction on intermediate EFL learners’ vocabulary size. Indian Journal of Fundamental and Applied Life Sciences, 6(1), 416-425. Available online at: www.cibtech.org/sp.ed/jls/2016/01/jls.htm
• Richards, J. C., & Renandya, W. A. (2002). Methodology in language teaching: An anthology of current practice. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Sadat Kiaee, S., Heravi Moghaddam, N, & Moheb Hosseini, E. (2013). The effect of teaching collocations on enhancing Iranian EFL learners’ reading comprehension. Journal of Advances in English Language Teaching, 1(1), 1-11.
• Schmitt, N. (2000). Key concepts in ELT: Lexical chunks. English Language Teaching Journal, 54(4), 400-401.
• Schmitt, D., Schmitt, N., & Mann, D. (2011). Focus on vocabulary 1: Bridging vocabulary. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Shooshtari, Z. G. and Karimi, N. (2013). Lexical collocation instruction and its impact on Iranian non-academic EFL learners’ speaking ability. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 4(4), 767-776.
• Sinclair, J. (2004). How to use corpora in language teaching. Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company.
• Spada, N. & Tornita, Y. (2010). Interaction between type of instruction and type of language feature: A meta-analysis. Language Learning, 60(2), 263-308.
• Tim Hsu, J. Y., & Chiu, C. Y. (2008). Lexical collocations and their relation to speaking proficiency of college EFL learners in Taiwan. The Asian EFL Journal, 10(1), 181-204.
• William, J. (2000). Testing ESL learners' knowledge of collocations. ELT Journal, 35, 115-122.
• Wray, A. (2002). Formulaic language and the lexicon. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Zaferanieh, E., and Behrooznia, S. (2011). On the Impacts of Four Collocation Instructional Methods: Web-Based Concordancing vs. Traditional Method, Explicit vs. Implicit Instruction. Studies in Literature and Language, 3(3), 120-126.
• Zarei, A. A. and Tondaki, N. (2015). The Effects of explicit and implicit instructional techniques on Iranian EFL learners’ comprehension and production of lexical collocations. Academie Royale des Seances Doutr-Mer Bulletin des Seances, 4(2), 122-131.