Chapter 1 the study of collocations

 
 
CHAPTER 5 
 
DISCUSSION OF THE FINDINGS 
 
5.0  Introduction 
 
 
This study investigated the acquisition of English collocations by ESL 
subjects at three proficiency levels - post-beginners, intermediate, and post-
intermediate - in an attempt to describe the development of English collocational 
knowledge in L2 learners.  The acquisition of English collocations was measured 
both as free production of collocations (accuracy of use in the students' essays) and 
cued production of collocations (accuracy of response in the translation and blank-
filling tests).  Evidence for the development of collocational knowledge was sought 
in comparing the production and knowledge of collocation types across and within 
the different proficiency groups.  An implicational scaling analysis was also 
performed on the data in an attempt to find evidence for accuracy orders in the 
acquisition of English collocations.  The findings are summarised and discussed in 
the following sections.  In section 5.1. the free production results are discussed; in 
5.2. the cued production results are considered; a summary of the findings is then 
presented in 5.3.; the factors affecting the development of collocational knowledge 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
5 

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are discussed in 5.4.; and finally a summary of the discussion is given in 5.5.  The 
pedagogical implications of this study are given in 5.6.