Collocational Patterns of Six Verbs Used by Taiwanese University Students

• Main Authors: Shu Fen Chang, 張淑芬
• Other Authors: CHUN CHUNG LIN
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2010
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/49361718579229057571

博士 === 淡江大學 === 英文學系博士班 === 98 === Under investigation in this study was the relation between Taiwanese university students’ English collocation knowledge and their overall language proficiency at three different proficiency levels and the factors influencing the students’ productive use of collocations. In addition, described and identified were the collocation errors made by the participants. The study utilized primarily quantitative methods, complemented by supplementary qualitative methods. A total of three hundred participants at three English language proficiency levels took the TOEIC test, a multiple-choice test, a translation test, a sentence-writing task, and responded to one questionnaire, all of which focused on discovering their ability to recognize and use collocations. Results of all the statistical analyses showed that a significant difference existed in students’ knowledge of collocations among the three groups of students at the three different proficiency levels. Furthermore, results of a Pearson’s moment correlation and a regression analysis showed that there was a strong relation between the students’ knowledge of collocations and their overall language proficiency. It was also found that while the TOEIC test was a good predictor of students’ knowledge of collocations, the reading section of the TOEIC test was a slightly better predictor than the listening section of the TOEIC test. Factors affecting the participants’ performances on the collocation translation test were also identified. Pedagogical implications and teaching applications of collocation research were also proposed.