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Turkish EFL Teachers’ and Learners’ Perceptions of Collocations

Year 2016, , 81 - 99, 26.12.2016
https://doi.org/10.19126/suje.220171

Abstract

This study explored perceptions of Turkish EFL teachers and learners on teaching and learning of collocations. Participants were 32 high school teachers and 326 students from five different state schools. The participants completed a questionnaire, and semi-structured interviews with 6 teachers were conducted to further explore the issues related to their perceptions and practices of teaching collocations. Results indicated that teachers consider it crucial to develop learners’ collocational knowledge starting from beginner levels. According to them, the main sources of collocational errors are learners’ unawareness of collocation as a concept and first language interference. Teachers reported that they specifically allocate teaching time for most frequently used collocations. Regarding learners, their responses indicated that most of them believe collocations play an important role in language learning. However, they think that teachers do not always dedicate enough time for collocations during teaching. Learners also believed that their collocational errors mostly stem from Turkish interference, and that the most effective strategy to study collocations is through collocational grids. The results of the study are discussed with reference to previous research conducted in different EFL settings, and in terms of practical applications for foreign language teaching in Turkey.

References

  • Akıncı, M. (2009). Effectiveness of corpus consultancy in teaching English verb-noun collocations to first year ELT students. Unpublished Master Thesis. Boğaziçi University, İstanbul, Turkey.
  • Alsakran, R. A. (2011). The productive and receptive knowledge of collocations by advanced Arabic speaking ESL/EFL learners. Published Master Thesis. Colorado State University, Colorado.
  • Bağcı, N. F. (2014). Turkish university level learners’ collocational knowledge at receptive and productive levels. Unpublished Master Thesis. Middle East Technical University. Ankara, Turkey.
  • Benson, M., Benson, E., & Ilson, R. (1997). The BBI dictionary of English word combinations. Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company.
  • Erman, B., & Warren, B. (2000). The idiom principle and the open choice principle. Text 20, 1: 29–62.
  • Firth, J.R. (1957). Papers in linguistics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Foster, P. (2001). Rules and routines: A consideration of their role in the task-based language production of native and non-native speakers. In M. Bygate, P. Skehan, & M. Swain (Ed.), Researching pedagogic tasks: Second language learning, teaching and testing (pp. 75–93). Harlow, UK: Longman.
  • Gençer, B. (2004). Raising EFL learners’ awareness of verb-noun collocations through chunking to extend their collocational knowledge of familiar nouns. Unpublished Master Thesis. Anadolu University, Eskişehir, Turkey.
  • Gitsaki, C. (1996) The development of ESL collocational knowledge. Published Doctoral Dissertation. The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
  • Gitsaki, C. (1999). Second language lexical acquisition: A study of the development of collocational knowledge. Maryland: International Scholars Publications.
  • Gyllstad, H. (2007). Testing English collocations: Developing receptive tests for use with advanced Swedish learners. Published Doctoral Dissertation. Lund University, Stockholm, Switzerland.
  • Hill, J. (2000). Revising priorities: from grammatical failure to collocational success. In M. Lewis (Ed.), Teaching collocation. (pp. 47-67). London: English Teaching Publications.
  • Howarth, P. (1998). Phraseology and second language proficiency. Applied Linguistics, 19(1), 24–44.
  • Hsu, J. (2002). Development in collocational proficiency in a workshop on English for general business purposes for Taiwanese college students. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation. Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania.
  • Koç, G. (2006). Developing collocational awareness. Unpublished Master Thesis. Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey.
  • Koosha, M., & Jafarpour, A. (2006). Data- driven learning and teaching collocation of prepositions: the case study of Iranian EFL adult learners, Asian EFL Journal, 8(4), 192-209.
  • Koya, T. (2005). The acquisition of basic collocations by Japanese learners of English. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation. Waseda University, Japan.
  • Laufer, B., & Waldman, T. (2011). Verb-noun collocations in second-language writing: A corpus analysis of learners’ English. Language Learning, 61(2), 647-672.
  • Lewis, M. (1993). The lexical approach. London: Language Teaching Publications.
  • Lewis, M. 1994. The lexical approach: the state of ELT and a way forward. London: Language Teaching Publications.
  • Lewis, M. (1997). Implementing the lexical approach: Putting theories into practice. London: Language Teaching Publications.
  • Martynska, M.(2004). Do English language learners know collocations? Investigationes Linguisticae, 11(1), 1-12.
  • Miles, M. B., & Huberman, A. M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
  • Nation, P. (2001). Learning vocabulary in another language. Cambridge: Cambridge 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.
  • Nesselhauf, N. (2005). Collocations in a learner corpus. Amsterdam: Benjamins.
  • Nattinger, J. (1988). Some current trends in vocabulary teaching. In R. Carter & M. McCarthy (Eds.), Vocabulary and language teaching (pp.62-82). London & New York: Longman.
  • Pawley, A., & Syder, F.H. (1983). Two puzzles for linguistics theory: Nativelike selection and nativelike fluency. In J.C. Richards, & R.W. Schmidt (Eds.), Language and communication (pp.191-226). New York: Longman.
  • Phuong, D. T. (2012). Collocations in “New Headway Pre-Intermediate” and common errors in English collocations by non English major students at Hanoi University of Science and Technology. Unpublished Master Thesis. University of Languages and International Studies, Hanoi, Vietnam.
  • Schmitt, N. (2004). Formulaic sequences: Acquisition, processing and use. Amsterdam: Johnn Benjamins.
  • Shehata, A. (2008). L1 Influence on the reception and production of collocations by advanced ESL/EFL Arabic learners of English. Published Master Thesis. The College of Arts and Sciences of Ohio University, Ohio.
  • Shei, C. C., & Pain, Helen (2000). An ESL writer's collocational aid. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 13(2), 167-182.
  • Sinclair, J.M. (1991). Corpus, concordance, collocation. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Wray, A. (2002). Formulaic language and the lexicon. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Wu, K. (2015). The effect of teaching collocations on the students’ perceptions toward language learning. Studies in English Language Teaching, 3(3), 215-236.
  • Ying, Y., & O’Neill, M. (2009). Collocation learning through and ‘AWARE’ approach: Learner perspectives and learning process. In A. Barfield & H. Gyllstad (Eds.), Researching collocations in another language: Multiple interpretations (pp. 181-193). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

İngilizceyi Yabancı Dil Olarak Öğrenen Türk Öğrencilerin ve Türk İngilizce Öğretmenlerinin Eşdizimlilik Algısı

Year 2016, , 81 - 99, 26.12.2016
https://doi.org/10.19126/suje.220171

Abstract

Bu çalışma, İngilizceyi yabanci dil olarak öğrenen Türk öğrencilerin ve Türk İngilizce öğretmenlerinin eşdizimlilik öğrenmeye ve öğretmeye ilişkin algılarını saptamak amacıyla yapılmıştır. Bu amaçla, çalışmanın katılımcılarını oluşturan beş farklı devlet lisesindeki 32 öğretmen ve 326 öğrenci, bir anket tamamlamıştır. Ayrıca öğretmenlerden altısıyla eşdizimlilik öğretim uygulamalarıyla ilgili yarı yapılandırılmış görüşmeler yapılmıştır. Sonuçlar öğretmenlerin, eşdizimlilik bilgisinin başlangıç seviyesinden itibaren geliştirilmesi gerektiğini, öğrencilerin eşdizimlilik hatalarının genellikle eşdizimlilik kavramını bilmemelerinden ve ana dilden yaptıkları aktarımdan kaynaklandığını düşündüğünü göstermiştir. Buna ek olarak, öğretmenler sık kullanılan eşdizimli sözcüklere özel olarak zaman ayırdıklarını belirtmişlerdir. Öğrenciler ise, eşdizimli sözcüklerin dil öğreniminde önemli rol oynamasına rağmen öğretmenlerinin yeterince zaman ayırmadıklarını, eşdizimlilikle ilgili yaptıkları hataların ana dilin etkisinden kaynaklandığını ve onlar için en etkili öğrenme stratejisinin eşdizimlilik tablosu olduğunu belirtmişlerdir. Makalde, çalışmanın sonuçları farklı yabanci dil olarak İngilizce ortamlarında yapılan çalışmalarınkiyle karşılaştırılmış ve Türkiye’deki yabancı dil öğretim uygulamalarına istinaden yapılan çıkarımlar sunulmuştur.

References

  • Akıncı, M. (2009). Effectiveness of corpus consultancy in teaching English verb-noun collocations to first year ELT students. Unpublished Master Thesis. Boğaziçi University, İstanbul, Turkey.
  • Alsakran, R. A. (2011). The productive and receptive knowledge of collocations by advanced Arabic speaking ESL/EFL learners. Published Master Thesis. Colorado State University, Colorado.
  • Bağcı, N. F. (2014). Turkish university level learners’ collocational knowledge at receptive and productive levels. Unpublished Master Thesis. Middle East Technical University. Ankara, Turkey.
  • Benson, M., Benson, E., & Ilson, R. (1997). The BBI dictionary of English word combinations. Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company.
  • Erman, B., & Warren, B. (2000). The idiom principle and the open choice principle. Text 20, 1: 29–62.
  • Firth, J.R. (1957). Papers in linguistics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Foster, P. (2001). Rules and routines: A consideration of their role in the task-based language production of native and non-native speakers. In M. Bygate, P. Skehan, & M. Swain (Ed.), Researching pedagogic tasks: Second language learning, teaching and testing (pp. 75–93). Harlow, UK: Longman.
  • Gençer, B. (2004). Raising EFL learners’ awareness of verb-noun collocations through chunking to extend their collocational knowledge of familiar nouns. Unpublished Master Thesis. Anadolu University, Eskişehir, Turkey.
  • Gitsaki, C. (1996) The development of ESL collocational knowledge. Published Doctoral Dissertation. The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
  • Gitsaki, C. (1999). Second language lexical acquisition: A study of the development of collocational knowledge. Maryland: International Scholars Publications.
  • Gyllstad, H. (2007). Testing English collocations: Developing receptive tests for use with advanced Swedish learners. Published Doctoral Dissertation. Lund University, Stockholm, Switzerland.
  • Hill, J. (2000). Revising priorities: from grammatical failure to collocational success. In M. Lewis (Ed.), Teaching collocation. (pp. 47-67). London: English Teaching Publications.
  • Howarth, P. (1998). Phraseology and second language proficiency. Applied Linguistics, 19(1), 24–44.
  • Hsu, J. (2002). Development in collocational proficiency in a workshop on English for general business purposes for Taiwanese college students. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation. Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania.
  • Koç, G. (2006). Developing collocational awareness. Unpublished Master Thesis. Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey.
  • Koosha, M., & Jafarpour, A. (2006). Data- driven learning and teaching collocation of prepositions: the case study of Iranian EFL adult learners, Asian EFL Journal, 8(4), 192-209.
  • Koya, T. (2005). The acquisition of basic collocations by Japanese learners of English. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation. Waseda University, Japan.
  • Laufer, B., & Waldman, T. (2011). Verb-noun collocations in second-language writing: A corpus analysis of learners’ English. Language Learning, 61(2), 647-672.
  • Lewis, M. (1993). The lexical approach. London: Language Teaching Publications.
  • Lewis, M. 1994. The lexical approach: the state of ELT and a way forward. London: Language Teaching Publications.
  • Lewis, M. (1997). Implementing the lexical approach: Putting theories into practice. London: Language Teaching Publications.
  • Martynska, M.(2004). Do English language learners know collocations? Investigationes Linguisticae, 11(1), 1-12.
  • Miles, M. B., & Huberman, A. M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
  • Nation, P. (2001). Learning vocabulary in another language. Cambridge: Cambridge 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.
  • Nesselhauf, N. (2005). Collocations in a learner corpus. Amsterdam: Benjamins.
  • Nattinger, J. (1988). Some current trends in vocabulary teaching. In R. Carter & M. McCarthy (Eds.), Vocabulary and language teaching (pp.62-82). London & New York: Longman.
  • Pawley, A., & Syder, F.H. (1983). Two puzzles for linguistics theory: Nativelike selection and nativelike fluency. In J.C. Richards, & R.W. Schmidt (Eds.), Language and communication (pp.191-226). New York: Longman.
  • Phuong, D. T. (2012). Collocations in “New Headway Pre-Intermediate” and common errors in English collocations by non English major students at Hanoi University of Science and Technology. Unpublished Master Thesis. University of Languages and International Studies, Hanoi, Vietnam.
  • Schmitt, N. (2004). Formulaic sequences: Acquisition, processing and use. Amsterdam: Johnn Benjamins.
  • Shehata, A. (2008). L1 Influence on the reception and production of collocations by advanced ESL/EFL Arabic learners of English. Published Master Thesis. The College of Arts and Sciences of Ohio University, Ohio.
  • Shei, C. C., & Pain, Helen (2000). An ESL writer's collocational aid. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 13(2), 167-182.
  • Sinclair, J.M. (1991). Corpus, concordance, collocation. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Wray, A. (2002). Formulaic language and the lexicon. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Wu, K. (2015). The effect of teaching collocations on the students’ perceptions toward language learning. Studies in English Language Teaching, 3(3), 215-236.
  • Ying, Y., & O’Neill, M. (2009). Collocation learning through and ‘AWARE’ approach: Learner perspectives and learning process. In A. Barfield & H. Gyllstad (Eds.), Researching collocations in another language: Multiple interpretations (pp. 181-193). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
There are 36 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Journal Section Articles
Authors

Gizem Mutlu

Özlem Kaşlıoğlu

Publication Date December 26, 2016
Published in Issue Year 2016

Cite

APA Mutlu, G., & Kaşlıoğlu, Ö. (2016). Turkish EFL Teachers’ and Learners’ Perceptions of Collocations. Sakarya University Journal of Education, 6(3), 81-99. https://doi.org/10.19126/suje.220171