Collocations Actions for Group English Courses

I’ve already written about why English language learners ought to study collocations. In latest occasions, I’ve begun to show my consideration to what it actually means to be a ‘lexical instructor’. Anyway, for those who’re on the lookout for a wide range of collocations actions and workouts to make use of with teams of learners, you’re in the appropriate place. 

Actions primarily based on Collocations, Expressions and Mounted Expressions

I’ve chosen the next 5 expressions and collocations actions on the grounds that they’ve distinctive instructing and studying worth.

1. Discovering Collocations in a Textual content

This primary exercise goals to use the collocational content material of any textual content.

As a reference level, right here’s one among my texts which I’ve used with college students lately:

(a) As a primary step, ask learners to underline all the only phrase nouns. If the textual content is an extended one, you’ll be able to break it down into sections in order that one group of scholars focuses on only one part or a number of paragraphs.

Within the textual content above, single phrase nouns embody:

• uncertainty
• citizenship
• rights
• backgrounds
• analysis
• household tree
• curiosity
• genealogist

(b) Now get learners to underline the verb or adjective which is used earlier than the noun. Examples from the textual content embody:

• Polish citizenship
• future rights
• rent a genealogist
• perform analysis
• twin citizenship
• instructional backgrounds
• take an curiosity
• begin a household tree

(c) Now that learners have some collocations to work with, get them to underline any entire phrases during which collocations are used:

• receive (Polish) citizenship (by descent)
• maintain twin citizenship
• take an curiosity (IN one thing)

Additional notes:

The fantastic thing about levels (b) and (c) is that learners would reread the identical collocations, and entire phrases containing the collocations, a number of occasions. Subsequently, there’s an abundance of specific give attention to type occurring right here. This may occasionally definitely allow enter to develop into consumption, that’s language information (enter) that has been seen, attended to and processed.

The thought for this exercise was present in:

Hill, J., et al,  (2000). ‘Classroom methods, actions and workouts’, in Lewis, M., (ed.) Educating Collocation: Additional Developments within the Lexical Strategy, Hove, England: Thomson Heinle Language Educating Publications ELT, p.88-117

Obtain the textual content – ‘A very long time coming‘ – with definitions

2. Mounted Expressions

The subsequent of our expressions/collocations actions encourages learners to note the precise phrases in a hard and fast expression.

Both individually or in pairs, get college students to appropriate the mistaken phrase. As a observe up, college students can write the equal of the expression of their mom tongue.

This easy train can be utilized to observe up listening to or studying a dialogue or watching a video or speak. I’ve chosen ten expressions from Jamie Oliver’s TED Speak – Train each baby about meals:

Expressions (one incorrect phrase in every expression)

1. you’re on the high in your sport
2.  transfer your palms up
3.  he is fed up on it
4. They’re doing a greatest they will do
5. best mentioned than carried out 

Options

1. you’re on the high OF your sport
2. PUT your palms up
3. he’s fed up WITH it
4. They’re doing THE greatest they will do
5. EASIER mentioned than carried out

The thought for this exercise was present in:

Lewis, M., (2008). Implementing the Lexical Strategy: Placing Concept into Apply, Andover, England: Heinle

3. Associated verbs

Based on Lewis (2008, p.97):

It’s the usage of related phrases in acquainted expressions which helps distinguish one from the opposite(s). 

Subsequently, this train kind encourages lecturers to take phrases with related which means, after which make a listing of expressions during which one of many phrases is used. 

I’ve not too long ago began working with corpora, most notably the British Nationwide Corpus (BNC), and that’s the place I’ve taken the sentences beneath from:

Train:

Full the next sentences with the suitable type of communicate, inform, say, speak:

1. I hadn’t anticipated to have the ability to _____ to Alan earlier than the top of the week, however at 1 / 4 to 5 Sylvia de Groot telephoned to say that he was free now if I nonetheless needed to see him
2. She _____ fluent Italian and spent a part of every year in Bari, within the south of Italy, the place she had lectured in English on the college for ten years
3. Marcus thought of writing to his father however knew he did not have something to _____ to him
4. He has _____ me he loves my daughter and bitterly regrets the affair which, he says, he could not cease as a result of the lady was blackmailing him and threatening to inform his spouse
5.  … let’s _____ about all the lads that Claire’s been hanging out with
6. He mentioned the police have been _____ to everybody Angie had seen within the two weeks earlier than she… properly… vanished, and thus far had give you nothing
7. All of us wish to suppose that we will _____ the reality, however all of us bend our solutions to the ears of the actual listener

Options

1. communicate
2. spoke
3. say
4. advised
5. speak
6. speaking / talking (communicate = barely extra formal)
7. inform

The thought for this exercise was present in:

Lewis, M., (2008). Implementing the Lexical Strategy: Placing Concept into Apply, Andover, England: Heinle 

4. The Collocation Sport

For this exercise, select a noun which possesses numerous adjective or verb collocates.

Inform the learners that every one the phrases you learn out collocate with the identical noun, which they need to attempt to guess.

Learners ought to write down the collocates you learn out. If a learner thinks they know the noun, they will shout it out. The sport could be aggressive in that two factors could be awarded for an accurate guess, whereas one level could be deducted for every incorrect guess. 

This exercise solely works correctly for those who select the order of the phrases rigorously, transferring from extra basic phrases to stronger collocates. Listed here are some examples that are extra appropriate for upper-intermediate stage learners of English:

1. plain, darkish, white, butter, milk, bar of     chocolate

2. gather, present, volunteer, conceal, collect, withhold     info

3. summer time, unique, financial institution, annual self-catering, package deal     vacation

4. 12 months, loss, allowance, bracket, haven, evasion     tax

5. big, rising, worthwhile, export, home, black      market

The thought for this exercise was present in:

Hill, J., et al, (2000). ‘Classroom methods, actions and workouts’, in Lewis, M., (ed.) Educating Collocation: Additional Developments within the Lexical Strategy, Hove, England: Thomson Heinle Language Educating Publications ELT, p.88-117

5. Accumulating Collocations

Of all of the collocations actions on the market, this one brings dwelling to learners simply what number of phrases collocate with a phrase they already know. 

As lecturers, it is advisable to be searching for fascinating nouns which, for instance, might collocate with numerous verbs. 

Directions:

1. Learn out a listing of round 10 verbs which might collocate with the goal noun
2.  Ask learners to notice all of the appropriate collocates as you learn
3.  Use seven or eight appropriate phrases, particularly half-familiar phrases. Add two or three others which do not make appropriate collocations

Examples:

cash: borrow, change, earn, *achieve, make investments, make, *cut back, save, spend

economic system: enhance, *break, *do, broaden, kick, begin, run, steer, stimulate

dwelling: get, go, go away, flee, come, journey, drive, arrive, *consolation, *improve

* non-collocates

Feedback:

This exercise supplies a possibility to remind learners of phrases they typically overuse equivalent to do, make, have, take.

The thought for this exercise was present in:

Hill, J., et al, (2000). ‘Classroom methods, actions and workouts’, in Lewis, M., (ed.) Educating Collocation: Additional Developments within the Lexical Strategy, Hove, England: Thomson Heinle Language Educating Publications ELT, p.88-117

Closing Ideas

Hill et al. (2000, p.116) warn lecturers of among the pitfalls of writing their very own collocations actions and workouts. Particularly, collocation isn’t so simple as it appears. For instance, typically the adverb should are available in entrance of the verb, typically it should come after, and typically both place is feasible with very related meanings. 

In latest occasions, I’ve developed hole fill workouts for college students primarily based on sentences present in corpora, such because the British Nationwide Corpus (BNC). Sometimes, I’ve put a substantial amount of emphasis on constructing college students’ information of the extensive collocational fields basic nouns possess. Hill et.al (2000, p.16) rightly level out that learners “suppose they ‘know’ these phrases, however they’re a supply of many errors when learners (mis-)use them in speech and writing.”

One other level is that learners overuse widespread delexical verbs, equivalent to take, do, have and get, after they don’t know the suitable verb collocate of a specific noun. For instance, learners might wrongly say “do a grievance” as an alternative of “make a grievance”. Subsequently, an honest proportion of collocations actions ought to pay heed to collocations containing delexical verbs.