Vocabulary Increase and Collocation Learning: A Corpus-Based Cross-sectional Study of Chinese Learners of English

204 Pages·2018·3.18 MB·English

by  Haiyan Men (auth.)

Haiyan Men
Vocabulary
Increase and
Collocation
Learning
A Corpus-Based Cross-sectional Study of
Chinese Learners of English
Vocabulary Increase and Collocation Learning
Haiyan Men
Vocabulary Increase
and Collocation Learning
A Corpus-Based Cross-sectional Study
of Chinese Learners of English
123
Haiyan Men
ShanghaiSanda University
Shanghai
China
ISBN978-981-10-5821-9 ISBN978-981-10-5822-6 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-981-10-5822-6
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Foreword
I am pleased to have the opportunity to recommend this monograph study of the
developmentofcollocationsinL2.Itoffersanextremelywell-groundedperspective
onavitalareaoflanguagelearningthatremainscentraltotheresearchendeavours
of large numbers of scholars at least since the 1980s.
Dr. Men’s investigations go well beyond the themes of a great deal of earlier
work on L2 collocation acquisition, where much of the existing literature has
explored the question of L1–L2 collocational congruence, or otherwise. However,
asDr.Menpointsouthere,thecongruencefactormaybeofrestrictedapplicability
when considering scenarios where the L1 and the L2 share relatively few directly
congruent items anyway, as it seems to be the case for Chinese learners of L2
English studied here. She finds they may well struggle with collocations of those
thatareL1–L2congruent.Sheoffersthefinding,importantforfutureresearch,that
increasing vocabulary size actually gives L2 learners difficulties, by inhibiting the
learning of collocations, at least temporarily.
The discovery that learners may get worse before they get better has long
intrigued researchers in first-language acquisition. Leading scholars such as Jean
Berko and Melissa Bowerman found with noun morphology and verb argument
structure that there is a U-shaped curve in the development of these patterns.
Dr.Men’sresultspointtoasimilarprocesstakingplaceinL2collocationlearning.
Astrongpointofthisstudyistheattentionitgivestothepropertiesofthetarget
language collocations to be acquired. Dr. Men is thus able to relate her analysis
of these properties to learning performance. The greater difficulty of verb + noun
collocations versus noun + noun collocations is related to synonym density in
English, she shows. The novelty of Dr. Men’s work is that she insightfully links
learners’challengeswiththefeaturesofthelinguisticlandscapetheymusttraverse
in the domain of collocations.
v
vi Foreword
Extensive consideration is also given to pedagogical aspects that arise from
considering how learners can better be helped with collocation learning. Having
contributed greatly to our understanding of why L2 collocation learning involves
seriousproblems,thebookthenofferspractical suggestionsfor howthey mightbe
solved.Ifindthisaltogetheraverysatisfyingconclusiontoanoriginalandcarefully
detailed study,andIexpect it toform areferencepoint for researchers inthis field
for years to come.
August 2016 Richard Ingham
Mannheim University
Germany
Acknowledgements
This book is based upon my Ph.D. dissertation, Vocabulary Increase and
CollocationLearning:ACorpus-BasedCross-sectionalStudyofChineseLearners
ofEnglish,acceptedbyBirminghamCityUniversityinMarch2015.Iwouldliketo
extend my sincere gratitude to my supervisor, Prof. Richard Ingham, whose rig-
orous academic training and thought-provoking guidance have always been trea-
sures for me in the writing process and beyond. I would also like to thank him for
his endless patience in revising the draft chapters, and my conference abstracts.
Richard stimulated my interest in linguistic research and imparted knowledge on
how to do research.
I am very much indebted to two other supervisors, Dr. Ursula Lutzky and Prof.
Antoinette Renouf, for their invaluable comments and assistance, and for their
conscientious proofreading of the drafts.
I am particularly grateful to Prof. Yang Huizhong for not only his lively and
stimulating instruction, but also for his constant critical comments on my doctoral
thesis. I owe my debt to him for his care for both my academic study and life
overseas several years ago.
At an institutional level, my thanks are due to Shanghai Sanda University for
providing financial support for this doctoral study, and for providing funds for me
to attend conferences related to this topic. I also wish to thank Editor Jin Ying’ai
and her team in introducing this book to Shanghai Jiao Tong University Press and
Springer and making the publication possible.
Finally, my gratitude is reserved for my parents and friends. Special thanks are
given to my husband, Wang Shuai, for his unselfish help and unfailing support I
have received while working on this book.
vii
Contents
1 Introduction... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 1
1.1 General Background..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 1
1.2 Aims of the Study . ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 3
1.3 The Shape of the Study .. .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 6
References. .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 7
2 The Notion of Collocation..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 9
2.1 The Importance of Collocation. .... .... .... .... ..... .... 9
2.1.1 The Pervasiveness of Phraseological Tendency... .... 9
2.1.2 The Importance of Collocation for L2 Learners... .... 11
2.1.3 Summary.. ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 13
2.2 The Notion of Collocation .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 13
2.2.1 Collocation Previously Approached... .... ..... .... 14
2.2.2 Collocation Defined in This Study ... .... ..... .... 25
2.2.3 Collocations Classified in This Study . .... ..... .... 27
2.2.4 Summary.. ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 30
References. .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 30
3 Collocation Studies in Second-Language Learner English.... .... 35
3.1 Methodologies Adopted in L2 Collocation Studies.. ..... .... 35
3.1.1 Elicitation Data-Based Collocation Studies . ..... .... 36
3.1.2 Spontaneous Data-Based Collocation Studies .... .... 39
3.2 Previous Findings from L2 Collocation Research... ..... .... 42
3.2.1 Forms of Collocation Deficiency: Overuse, Underuse
and Misuse ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 43
3.2.2 The Role of Learners’ L1 .. .... .... .... ..... .... 46
3.2.3 Collocation Lag.. .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 52
3.3 Summary .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 54
References. .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 55
ix
x Contents
4 Research Design ... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 59
4.1 Research Purpose and Questions ... .... .... .... ..... .... 59
4.2 The Selection of Verb + Noun, Adjective + Noun
and Noun + Noun Collocations .... .... .... .... ..... .... 60
4.3 The Learner Corpus—CLEC .. .... .... .... .... ..... .... 62
4.4 Collocation Dictionaries for Reference... .... .... ..... .... 64
4.5 The Reference Corpus—BNC.. .... .... .... .... ..... .... 65
4.6 Software for Retrieval and Analysis. .... .... .... ..... .... 66
4.7 Procedure .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 66
4.7.1 Tagging and Reliability Check .. .... .... ..... .... 66
4.7.2 Investigation of Verb + Noun Collocations. ..... .... 68
4.7.3 InvestigationofAdjective + NounandNoun + Noun
Collocations..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 73
4.8 Summary .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 73
References. .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 74
5 Chinese Learners’ Production of Verb + Noun Collocations.. .... 77
5.1 Overall Analyses (1): General Patterns of VN Collocations
Produced by L2 Learners . .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 77
5.1.1 Overall Tokens of Collocations.. .... .... ..... .... 77
5.1.2 Overall Types of Collocations and Collocation
Frequency Distribution .... .... .... .... ..... .... 79
5.1.3 Collocation Misuses .. .... .... .... .... ..... .... 83
5.1.4 Synopsis of Overall Analyses (1) .... .... ..... .... 85
5.2 Overall Analyses (2): Between-Group Comparisons
of Delexical and Lexical VN Collocations .... .... ..... .... 86
5.2.1 Between-Group Comparisons of Well-Formed
DeLexVN and LexVN Collocations .. .... ..... .... 88
5.2.2 Between-Group Comparisons of Erroneous
DeLexVN and LexVN Collocations .. .... ..... .... 89
5.2.3 Synopsis of Overall Analyses (2) .... .... ..... .... 91
5.3 Overall Analyses (3): Verb Growth and Collocation Errors .... 92
5.4 Synopsis of the Overall Analyses of Verb + Noun
Collocations .. .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 93
References. .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 95
6 Verb Increase and the Production of Verb + Noun
Collocations... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 97
6.1 Detailed Analyses—Verb Increase and Collocation Uses.. .... 97
6.1.1 Analysis of VN Collocations Within Synsets
Identified at the ST2 and ST6 Levels . .... ..... .... 98
6.1.2 Analysis of VN Collocations Within Synsets
Identified at the ST2, ST5 and ST6 Levels. ..... .... 103
6.2 Synopsis of Detailed Analyses of Verb Increase
and Collocation Uses .... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 108
Contents xi
6.3 An Alternative Explanation: New Nouns
and Collocation Uses .... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 109
6.3.1 New Nouns in the ST6 VN Collocations
(New as Compared with the ST2 Level)... ..... .... 110
6.3.2 New Nouns in the ST6 VN Collocations
(New as Compared with the ST5 Level)
and New Nouns in the ST5 VN Collocations
(New as Compared with the ST2 Level)... ..... .... 114
References. .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 116
7 Chinese Learners’ Performance on English Adjective + Noun
and Noun + Noun Collocations .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 117
7.1 Analyses of Adjective + Noun Collocations... .... ..... .... 117
7.2 Analyses of Noun + Noun Collocations.. .... .... ..... .... 118
7.3 Synopsis of the Analyses of Adjective + Noun
and Noun + Noun Collocations .... .... .... .... ..... .... 122
References. .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 122
8 Comparison and Interpretation of Learners’ Performance
on the Three Types of Collocations . .... .... .... .... ..... .... 123
8.1 Collocation Errors in the Three Types of Collocations.... .... 123
8.2 Vocabulary Growth and Collocation Errors ... .... ..... .... 125
8.3 Synsets and Collocation Production . .... .... .... ..... .... 126
8.4 Synopsis of the Findings in This Chapter. .... .... ..... .... 131
References. .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 132
9 The Role of L1 in Collocation Learning . .... .... .... ..... .... 133
9.1 The Notion of Congruence.... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 134
9.2 Within-group Comparison of Well-formed and Erroneous
Congruent and Non-congruent VN Collocations.... ..... .... 137
9.3 Between-group Comparison of Well-formed and Erroneous
Congruent and Non-congruent VN Collocations.... ..... .... 141
9.4 Within-group Comparison of Positive and Negative L1
Influence with VN and aN Collocations.. .... .... ..... .... 145
9.5 Synopsis of Findings in This Chapter.... .... .... ..... .... 147
References. .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 148
10 Summary and Conclusions.... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 151
10.1 Summary .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 151
10.2 Implications .. .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 155
10.2.1 Theoretical Implications.... .... .... .... ..... .... 155
10.2.2 Pedagogical Implications... .... .... .... ..... .... 160
10.3 Limitations and Ways Forward. .... .... .... .... ..... .... 165
References. .... .... .... ..... .... .... .... .... .... ..... .... 166