Exploring Users’ Awareness And Use Of English Collocations In Everyday Communication

Abstract

English language users are highly reckoned to acquire collocational knowledge as part of their language acquisition to ensure greater fluency is achieved when using the language. Despite the obvious significance of collocation knowledge, many users have shown poor mastery of collocations, leading to their improper and incorrect use of the language be it in writing or speaking. The present study aimed at exploring further ESL learners’ awareness and use of collocations in their everyday communication. To this end, six users at different age range (12 years old to 40 years old) were interviewed in the study, to gain input on their collocation awareness and use. The results revealed two interesting findings. Firstly, the young and adult users were observed to have different level of collocation knowledge, as the young ones responded they know fewer English collocations than the adults. Interestingly, one of the respondents reported that he never heard of the word collocation before. Resulting from their lack of knowledge, the respondents were found to hardly use collocations in their everyday communication. Even if they do, this was by coincidence and not as a demonstration of their collocation knowledge and awareness. The findings of the present study bring an implication to language teaching and learning practices to include collocations as a focus in language teaching and learning process.