the importance of teaching phrasal vocabulary to second … · lewis, m. (1993). the lexical...
Post on 10-Apr-2018
277 Views
Preview:
TRANSCRIPT
The Importance of Teaching
Phrasal Vocabulary to
Second Language Learners
Victoria Escaip
INTRODUCTION
Vocabulary is not only comprised by individual words. Much of it involves ‘prefabricated’ sequences of words, which function as single units:
formulaic expressions or formulaic sequences
Formulaic language
Formulaic expressions constitute formulaic language (phrasal vocabulary)
Get on the bus; Keep a straight
face; Kick the bucket...
Definition of Formulaic Expression
“A sequence, continuous or discontinuous [slots to be filled...], of words or other elements [punctuation marks...], which is, or appears to be, prefabricated: that is, stored and retrieved whole from memory at the time of use, rather than being subject to generation or analysis by the language grammar”.
(Wray, 2002, p.9)
Formulaic expressions are essential in language
• Everywhere in language use. • Variety of communicative
functions. • Improve fluency. • Improve the general impression
of L2 speakers’ speech production.
Formulaic language is everywhere
• 30% spoken discourse and 21% of academic prose (Biber et al.(1999).
• 58.6% spoken discourse and 52.3% of written discourse (Erman & Warren, 2000).
• Up to 70% of everything we say, hear, read, or write (Jimmie Hill, 2000).
Functions and meanings of formulaic language
• Functional use I’m sorry to hear about...; I’d be
happy to... • Social interaction Nice weather today; Oh, I see; I’ve got
it; Did you really?
• Discourse organisation In other words...; On the other
hand...
• Precise information in technical fields Taxi into position and hold.
Schmitt, N. (2005)
Formulaic Language improves fluency
Formulaic expressions are stored in the mind as individual wholes and are processed as such. Formulaic expressions are ‘ready to go’ lexical phrases. They give speakers more fluency and also assist the listener by reducing the processing effort.
Formulaic Language improves the general impression of L2 speakers’ speech production
Non-native speakers that use
formulaic language are judged as
more proficient in both spoken and
written discourse.
(Boers, Eyckmans, Kappel, Stengers, &
Demecheleer, 2006; Ohlrogge, 2009).
Phrasal vocabulary in every language
Phrasal vocabulary is not restricted to English, but it spreads through every other language. The importance of teaching phrasal vocabulary to second language learners applies to every language.
Changes in the language teaching approach
From the traditional view where
grammar was thought as “the bones
of the language and vocabulary as
the flesh to be added” (Hill, 2000),
phrasal vocabulary acquisition has
been moved to the forefront of
language teaching by many language
teachers.
Phrasal vocabulary in the language syllabus
• Idioms Put the cat among the chickens
• Phrasal verbs
Make up a story; Put the light out
• Collocations Get lost; Make up for lost time; Speak your mind.
Collocations
• “Words that are placed or found together in a predictable pattern”. (Graney, 2000)
• “Words which are statistically
much more likely to appear together than random chance suggests”. (Woolard, 2000, p. 29)
Types of collocations
Verb + noun dispute findings; accept the outcome; predict the future
verb + adjective + noun learn a foreign language
verb + adverb live dangerously; struggle unceasingly against
adjective + noun huge profit; unaccompanied minor
adverb + adjective + noun highly irregular situation
adverb + adjective completely soaked
adverb + verb half understand
verb + preposition engage in; hear about
verb + preposition + noun speak through an interpreter
What phrasal vocabulary should I teach?
The primary responsibility for identifying the most useful phrasal vocabulary to teach corresponds to the teacher. Teaching Collocation: Further Developments in the Lexical Approach by Michael Lewis (2000)
Identifying useful collocations
Jane Conzett (2000, p. 74)
Discerning useful collocations
Noticing
Teachers need to encourage l e a r n e r s t o d e v e l o p a n appreciation for the different collocations they come across during their language training, and to expand this knowledge to subsequent collocations they meet.
Classroom activities
Classroom strategies, activities and exercises by Jimmie Hill, Morgan Lewis & Michael Lewis (2000) in Teaching Collocation: Further Developments in the Lexical Approach. Hove, England: Language Teaching Publications.
Underline verb + noun collocations
On the simplest level, teachers could encourage students to think bigger than the word –always look f o r t h e t w o o r t h r e e - w o r d expression. Ask students to u n d e r l i n e a l l v e r b + n o u n collocations in a text:
- accept the outcome - predict the future - give (special) attention
Recording collocations
Organized lexical notebooks. • Avoid breaking it up. • Avoid grammatical analysis. • Do not translate word-for-word, but whole phrase to whole phrase.
Collocation dictionaries
Encourage students to record new nouns in boxes like these and look for collocates in their collocation dictionaries. Leave some spaces to add other words later.
(p. 99)
Brainstorming exercises
Do collocations’ brainstorming exercises regularly in class. Ask “or” questions to the students: Do you always come by bus or do you sometimes come by car?/ Do you sometimes break promises or do you always keep them? (Lewis, 2000)
Collocation games
Domino-type games Match the cards end to end by matching
the collocations.
Find your partner Two-word collocations are split between members of the class who then have to
find their partner.
Memory game With cards placed face down on the table and, in groups, students take turns to turn over two cards at a time hoping to
find the collocations.
(Hill, Lewis & Lewis, 2000)
Incorporate collocation teaching in your practice!
If we do not teach collocations...
we are ignoring a large set of items which express often complex i d e a s v e r y s i m p l y a n d y e t precisely. Set yourself a realistic objective.
vs. You must know what you want to do but it must not be too much for it to be possible for you to do.
Conclusions 1
• The centrality of vocabulary means that the traditional teaching of grammar structures should play a less important role than in the past. Less grammar, more vocabulary.
• Language consists largely of formulaic sequences, that is, prefabricated chunks of lexis. Teaching phrasal vocabulary should then be a top priority in every language course.
• Language teachers and students must be aware of collocation as a key element to language learning.
• Although students may be successful on communicating the intended meaning by manipulating single words with grammar, having an extended phrasal vocabulary increases the accuracy and fluency of their language production. “Formulaic language is intrinsically connected with functional, fluent, and communicative language use” (Schmitt, 2005, p. 16).
Conclusions 2
References 1
Biber, D., Johansson, S., Leech, G., Conrad, S., & Finegan, E. (1999). Longman Grammar of Spoken and Written English: Longman.
Boers, F., Eyckmans, J., Kappel, J., Stengers, H., & Demecheleer, M. (2006). Formulaic sequences and perceived oral proficiency: Putting a lexical approach to the test. Language teaching research, 10(3), 245-261.
Conzett, J. (2000). Integrating collocation into a reading and writing course. In M. Lewis (Ed.), Teaching Collocation: Further Developments in the Lexical Approach. Hove, England: Language Teaching Publications.
Erman, B., & Warren, B. (2000). The idiom principle and the open choice principle. TEXT-THE HAGUE THEN AMSTERDAM THEN BERLIN-, 20(1), 29-62.
Graney, J. M. (2000). Teaching collocation: Further developments in the lexical approach - Review. TESL-EJ (The Electronic Journal for English as a Second Language, 4(4).
Hill, J. (2000). Revising priorities: from grammatical failure to collocational success. In M. Lewis (Ed.), Teaching Collocation: Further Developments in the Lexical Approach (pp. 47-69). Hove, England: Language Teaching Publications.
Hill, J., Lewis, M., & Lewis, M. (2000). Classroom strategies, activities and exercises. In M. Lewis (Ed.), Teaching Collocation: Further Developments in the Lexical Approach. Hove, England: Language Teaching Publications.
Lewis, M. (1993). The Lexical Approach. Hove, England: Language Teaching Publications.
References 2
Lewis, M. (1997). Implementing the Lexical Approach. Hove, England: Language Teaching Publications. Lewis, M. (2000). Teaching Collocation: Further Developments in the Lexical Approach. Hove, England: Language
Teaching Publications. Lewis, M. (2000). There is nothing as practicas as a good theory. In M. Lewis (Ed.), Teaching Collocation: Further
Developments in the Lexical Approach. Hove, England: Language Teaching Publications. Nattinger, J. R., & DeCarrico, J. S. (1992). Lexical phrases and language teaching: Oxford University Press. Ohlrogge, A. (2009). Formulaic expressions in intermediate EFL writing assessment. In R. Corrigan, E. A. Moravcsik, H. Ouali & K. M. Wheatley (Eds.), Formulaic Language Volume 2: Acquisition, Loss, Psychological Reality, and
Functional Explanations (pp. 375-386): John Benjamins Publishing Company. Schmitt, N. (2005). Formulaic language: fixed and varied. Elia, 6(6), 13-39. Woolard, G. (2000). Collocation - encouraging learner independence. In M. Lewis (Ed.), Teaching Collocation: Furher
Developments in the Lexial Approach. Hove, England: Language Teaching Publications. Wray, A. (2002). Formulaic language and the lexicon. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
top related