Teaching new words using collocations has been acknowledged as an effective way in vocabulary classes

ABSTRACT

Teaching new words using collocations has been acknowledged as an effective way in vocabulary classes. This qualification paper is an attempt to find out whether teaching vocabulary using collocations would result in better learning new words. The topic of our research work is “Teaching Vocabulary Using Collocations Versus Using Definitions in EFL Classes”. The investigation of this study was the differences between two ways of vocabulary teaching: dictionary definitions and collocations in EFL classes. To investigate the topic, the study was conducted at secondary school N17, in Tashkent region. In this study, pre-intermediate level students from two classes participated. The experiment group was presented new vocabulary items together with their collocations whereas the control group was presented with only definitions. To determine the vocabulary used in the presentations pre-test was given to the pupils. These vocabulary items were presented in two reading texts for the next stage. After practicing these vocabulary, post-test was given a day after. Delayed post-tests were given 10 days later in order to measure remembering. Comprehensive questions, tests, multiple-choice questions and gap-filling exercises were used during the study.
Our investigation was spread over a period of one month. The results showed that the differences were statistically significant. Vocabulary instruction by means of collocations can be a successful factor in assisting students to remember and make use of the new vocabulary without difficulty in EFL classrooms. It indicates that using collocations can help learners effectively on vocabulary learning.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT
I.STATEMENT OF INTENT……………………………………………….3
II.LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 The role of vocabulary in language learning………………………….5
2.2 Foreign language vocabulary acquisition……………………………..8
2.3 Vocabulary Comprehension…………………………………………..9
2.4 Collocations as a new vocabulary teaching way……………………..11
2.5 Involving Collocations in vocabulary classes…………………………15
2.6 Empirical Studies on Collocations…………………………………….19
2.7 The impact of collocations on vocabulary teaching and learning…….21
III. PROCEDURES AND PROCESS
3.1 Research plan…………………………………………………25
3.1.1 Statement of purpose……………………………………….25
3.1.2 Methods…………………………………………………….27
3.2 Data collection………………………………………………...32
IV. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
4.1 Experimental findings………………………………………….35
4.2 General findings……………………………………………….44
4.3 Conclusion……………………………………………………..46
4.4 Recommendations……………………………………………...47
V. FINAL REFLECTIONS…………………………………………….47
Reference List………………………………………………………….49
Bibliography……………………………………………………………50
Appendices……………………………………………………………..52

1. 
   STATEMENT OF INTENT
   

The Decree of our country’s first President I.A.Karimov “On Measures on Further Improvement of Teaching of Foreign Languages” on December 10, 2012 is of great importance in training highly qualified specialists. This shows that in our country many opportunities are being given to the youth to take much education. English has become an international language and its range of functions is increasing everywhere including Uzbekistan. In Uzbekistan authors of syllabuses, curricula, coursebooks and other guides try to humanize materials, present materials in real-life and culturally familiar language contexts and match the language instructions with students needs and personal preferences. All this allows expressing learners' identity and empowers them to make a decision about what they need to learn. The effectiveness of teachers’ pedagogical activity, at first, depends on acquiring the ideas of modernization. A modernization means changing the goal and results of education; application of modern methods and technologies in practice of teaching and learning; reworking out the state standards and curricula for EL teaching and learning

As it has been admitted, learning vocabulary is the most significant skill in language sphere. In spite of the importance of vocabulary teaching, it has not been taken into consideration in instructional contexts of EFL. For instance, some instructors even do not accept different available techniques of vocabulary teaching. Providing students with profitable opportunities, which lead to learning new words and memorize for a long time is accounted as teachers’ important responsibility.
The topic of our research work is “Teaching Vocabulary Using Collocations Versus Using Definitions in EFL Classes”. The important point of our work is researching and finding the ways of implementing collocations in front of the definitions suitably accordance to learners’ interests. The purpose of the theme is to find out worthy effectiveness of teaching vocabulary using collocations versus using definitions in a wide range on students’ level.
Traditionally, vocabulary teaching has been mostly integrated in reading classes and has been mostly instructed with the help of ordinary definitions, or synonyms, antonyms. Guessing meaning from the context has been recently used. Nevertheless, teachers can use many other vocabulary-teaching techniques, such as word families, collocations and formal groupings. The efficiency of such techniques needs to be practically investigated (Nattier, 1988).
This research has studied with experimental vocabulary teaching group and results of efficiency of collocations in better vocabulary learning rather using definitions in vocabulary teaching alone.
Foreign students tend to be have inability of applying appropriate collocations for new words. However, word selection and word order in Uzbek language vary from English; Uzbek learners mostly use collocations in inappropriate way.
Most learners are not alert to the condition of that collocations in every language differ from each other and this causes to face problems in language learning since students supposed to translate most of the collocations directly. For instance, the noun “promise” takes the verb “make”: “make a promise” in English, however for “promise” the verb “give” is used in Uzbek language, so the learners used to translate the words directly and this leads to misuse of words. It points out that learners have to study vocabulary objects with the words they are associated: collocations.
The results of our study may be beneficial and play an important role for teachers and students in this sphere, and being acquainted with a comparatively new learning method. Furthermore, learners can also find this technique useful for vocabulary acquisition since they are able to learn more words at the same time.

2. 
   LITERATURE REVIEW
   

This chapter aimed to provide complete comprehension of review, synthesis and researches of related literature from historical foundation to current appearance; it involves basic problems and research questions. In this section, reader will be informed about research practicum and its basic theoretical directions.