Lecture 2: Understanding Why We Need to Learn Collocations Developed by Yang Ying 2010 Online Lecture Series on Collocation Learning Review of Lecture 1: What is Collocation? Word Combinations Phrases Longer chunks single words Lecture 1 tells you about what is collocation. Focus of Lecture 2: the importance of collocation learning Why Should We Learn Collocations? Reason 1: Helps Language Production Knowing the meaning of single words – comprehension Knowing word combinations – production/use Example Single word: analysis--recognition Word combinations Word combinations: Collocations What verb can I put before “analysis”? You can say “perform an analysis” or “carry out an analysis”! Word combinations: Collocations Great! Thank you! Word combination: perform an analysis, carry out an analysis – USE Why Should We Learn Collocations? Reason 2: Be native-like Word grammar—some combinations are allowed in your native tongue, but not in the target language Examples What would you say? A strong engine or a powerful engine? Business journey or business trip? Why Should We Learn Collocations? Reason 3: Express your ideas better Giving you more power to express your ideas Contrast the following 1. This is a good book and contains a lot of interesting details. 2. This is a fascinating book and contains a wealth of historical detail. You communicate much more with the right combination of words ! Why Should We Learn Collocations? Reason 4: Helping you to enhance writing sophistication and avoid simple, flat style of writing. E.g. overuse of general words only. Example a good analysis? – too general – in what way is it good? How about? a detailed analysis a thorough analysis an in-depth analysis Reason 5: Further Language Development Bothered about slow progress in language development at this stage? Not knowing what to learn after all grammar topics have been learned? Learning collocations helps you take off again!!! Words from Experts For intermediate level language learners, when they have learned the grammatical structures of the language and are able to produce such structures correctly, the only viable way for them to improve further and to reach the advanced level of language proficiency is to learn more collocations rather than doing grammar only (Morgan Lewis, 2001). Do you know? Uneducated native speakers of English may only have a vocabulary size of 2000 words, but can function well in their daily communication. That’s because they are able to combine these words to make meaning Summary Importance of learning collocation Improve language use Use native like expressions Express your ideas with greater power Improve writing sophistication Further develop your language proficiency Why Wait? Start Paying Attention to Collocations Start Learning Collocations References Lewis, Morgan. (2001). Third conditional again! Isn't there anything else? New Routes, 12. Retrieved June 25, 2002 from http://www.disal.com.br/nroutes/nr12/indi ce.htm Oxford Collocations Dictionary for Students of English (2003). Oxford University Press. Click below to continue onto Lecture 3 Developing Awareness of Collocation Through Reading