Association of lexical and collocation knowledge: A comparative analysis of native speakers and nonnative learners of English

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DOI:

https://doi.org/10.35869/vial.v0i21.4165

Abstract

To provide a comprehensive estimate of Korean college students’ lexical competence, this study compared L2 learners’ (EFL) use of single words and collocations with that of native speakers (NSs). The study compiled two text corpora, one from an existing native corpus and the other with texts from Korean EFL learners at three proficiency levels. There were significant differences between the two corpora in lexical diversity, although the difference between advanced EFL learners and NSs was non-significant, indicating that advanced learners were on par with NSs in terms of using a diverse range of words. In a comparison of lexical distribution of single words, however, these advanced learners were found to use words between the 1K and 4K level, whereas NSs used words beyond this level. This suggests the need to cover a wider range of words in classroom teaching and assessment. Regarding collocational knowledge, the difference between the NSs and EFL group was apparent and statistically significant, regardless of learners’ proficiency levels. Namely, EFL learners used far fewer collocations in a smaller range than their counterparts. The learners’ limited collocational competence indicates that collocations should be considered an integral component of the curriculum, instruction, and assessment.

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Author Biographies

Dongkwang Shin, Gwangju National University of Education

Dr. Shin, Dongkwang received his PhD in applied linguistics from Victoria University of Wellington and is currently an associate professor at Gwangju National University of Education, Republic of Korea. His research interests include corpus linguistics, CALL, and chatbot-based language learning.

Kyung-Sook Kim, Hanyang University

Dr. Kim, Kyung-Sook <cindytesol@hanyang.ac.kr> is a full-time researcher in the College English Education Center at Hanyang University. Her research interests include strategic reading, connection between reading and writing, teaching vocabulary, and English for specific purpose (ESP).

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Published

2024-01-15

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Articles