Learning Collocations: Exploring EFL Learners’ Beliefs and Strategies
Subject Areas : Research in English Language Pedagogy
Farhang Daneshfard
1
,
Mahboobeh Saadat
2
*
1 - Department of Foreign Languages and Linguistics, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
2 - Department of Foreign Languages and Linguistics, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
Keywords: Collocations, Learners’ Beliefs, Learning Problems, Learning Strategies, Thematic Analysis,
Abstract :
Collocations are regarded as a major aspect of learning a foreign language. However, few studies have explored collocations from the learners’ perspective. These issues include the importance of learning collocations and the different strategies and difficulties associated with learning them. Since beliefs are foundational for developing language skills, this study endeavored to fill this gap. Using a mixed-methods design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 38 Iranian EFL learners majoring in English and, therefore, having above-intermediate knowledge of English. Next, the participants’ recorded responses were probed, tentative themes were drawn, and similar ones were combined to obtain final themes, which were then counted. The findings indicated that learners regarded collocations to be important for various reasons, including the fact that they help with their precision and accuracy (n=14), as well as their naturalness (n=7). Implicit exposure to English, for instance, by watching films (n=19) or reading (n=14), was pinpointed most frequently as an effective means for learning collocations. Furthermore, L1 influence and the vast number of collocations were two of the important difficulties in learning them. In addition, most learners considered learning collocations easier (n=26) and more important (n=20) than learning individual words. Finally, the findings were interpreted through beliefs about external, personal, language-related, and language-learning factors and cognitive, metacognitive, social, compensation, and affective strategies. Implications for language teaching included the responsibility of teachers to reinforce the usefulness of collocations and to set useful tasks. It was also recommended that researchers examine collocation-learning problems in other contexts and compare the effectiveness of the suggested strategies.
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