1.1 WHERE DOES THE STUDY FIT IN?
This research is on the teaching/learning of idiomatic expressions and
multi-word verbs of English (in the context of Sudan), but the teaching and learning
of idiomatic expressions and multi-word verb is only part of teaching and learning
of vocabulary and, again, the latter (i.e., T/L of vocabulary) is only part of
a language development programme. It is,
thus, important that teaching and learning of idiomatic expressions and multi-word
verbs of English is placed in its proper perspective. In doing this, we use the principles, techniques,
strategies etc. of teaching, learning and assessing vocabulary putting in consideration
that these two vocabulary components are different (from other vocabulary items)
in that they are multi-word lexical items – units larger than words.
The present study has been concluded in the context of Sudan which offers
a typical setting of an EFL programme, characterized by limited exposure to English
as a commonly language and hence, restricted scope of practice.
1.2 THE IMPORTANCE OF THE RESEARCH
The vocabulary knowledge of FL is necessary in the sense that words are
the basic building blocks of language, the units of meaning from which larger
structures such as sentences, paragraphs and whole texts are formed. For learners acquisition of vocabulary is typically
conscious and demanding process. Even
at an advanced level, learners are ware of limitations in their knowledge of FL
words. They experience lexical gaps, that
is words they read which they simply do not understand, or concepts that they
cannot express as adequately as they could in their first language.
Generally speaking, very little has been written on the problems and strategies
of teaching and learning of foreign language vocabulary. It is probably assumed that learning of another language vocabulary
will be somehow mastered by those interested in the language on their own.
There is also a popular perception that learning a foreign language is
basically mastering its vocabulary. Many
learners see FL acquisition as essentially a matter of learning vocabulary. Therefore, they devote a great deal of time
to memorizing lists of FL words and rely on their bilingual dictionary as a basic
communicative resource. In popular writing,
the expressions such as ‘word power’ is used in this sense.
Thus, from various points of view, vocabulary can be seen as a priority
area in language teaching/learning. However,
LT strategies for teaching of vocabulary seems to be a neglected area which needs
attention of the applied linguists and language teachers. Within this general field, two important but
overlapping components in the context of ELT seem to be idiomatic expressions
and multi-word verbal combinations that demand a lot of concern for the following
reasons:
1.
Subjectively and introspectively speaking, and also based on the experience
of teachers and learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) in the context
of the middle and east of Africa, it has been observed that these two areas cause
a lot of problems and difficulties.
2.
Objectively, there is a frequent demand from those possessing the knowledge
of EFL that they must have a command of idiomatic expressions in real-life situations
(advertisements for job vacancies will bear this out).
3.
Even if one considers the problem from the angle of language economy and
psycholinguistic processing, the possibility of using the same verb with different
particles so as to produce several other multi-word verb forms, with new meanings,
make the processes of information retrieval, recalling the lexical item at will,
thus facilitating spelling and pronunciation, etc, much easier.
Therefore, it makes perfect sense to form give in, give up and give away
to from the same verb give – although it may present difficulties for some learners. In using the internet, sign up, sign in, sign
on and sign out are also illustrative.
4.
It is important to change the view which is based on the hypothesis that
mastering of idiomatic expressions and multi-word verbs could be restricted only
to the native speakers learning English formally or enhancing their knowledge
of their first language (English) in order to approximate this competence. The
non-native learners often show a tendency to avoid using vocabulary in an idiomatic
way.
5.
Idiomatic expressions and multi-word verbs are some of the most interesting
and yet challenging aspects of the English vocabulary.
They are interesting because they are colourful and lively, and also because
they are linguistic curiosities. At the
same time, they are difficult because they have unpredictable meanings or collocations
and grammar, and often have special connotations. They also demonstrate possibilities of semantic
expansion.
6.
Idiomatic expressions and multi-word verbs are colourful and fascinating
aspects of English. They are commonly
used in all types of contexts, namely informal and formal, spoken and written.
7.
Idiomatic expressions and multi-word verbs are frequently neglected
in general dictionaries and classroom teaching, because they are considered marginal
items (especially idiomatic expressions) which are claimed to be quaint but not
significant enough to merit special attention. Yet research and literature into idiomatic
expressions and multi-word verbs show that they have important roles in spoken
language and in writing, particularly in conveying evaluations and in developing
or maintaining interactions.
1.3 OBJECTIVES AND METHODOLOGICAL QUESTIONS
1.3.1
Objective(s) of the research
This research to which this chapter forms an introduction arises out of
a deep and prolonged dissatisfaction which the researcher has felt with both the
past and present status of teaching/learning of idiomatic expressions and multi-word
verbs of English in the context of Sudan. Our
main objective, in this research, is, therefore, to provide those engaged in English
Language Teaching and Learning in Sudan with the suitable means for pre-empting
and solving the problems and difficulties of teaching and learning idiomatic expressions
and multi-word verbs of English.
·
This study is set up/conducted to examine the problems/difficulties
faced by Sudanese university students learning English while dealing with idiomatic
expressions and multi-word verbs and develop recommendations for the improvement
of the processes of teaching / learning these two important vocabulary components.
·
To train the learners in the strategies of guessing (vocabulary)
from context (with esp. reference to idiomatic expressions and multi-word verbs
as multi-word lexical items) which lead to the mastery of the general skill of
reading.
In
sum, the principal goal in this study is to seek suitable alternatives and different
approaches for better teaching and learning of idiomatic expressions and multi-word
verbs in the context of Sudan.
1.3.2 The Limitation(s) of the study
This research does not include comparative figures and strategies of EFL
which could have been brought out from other nations.
The study does not include the other countries or speech areas where EFL
has been in operation. Moreover, it is
a small-scale study. The data was collected
from the written production/reception of the subjects who are small in number
(100 students + 50 teachers as informants). However, these constraints are built in when one looks at the time
available for completing a doctoral dissertation in a country far away from Sudan.
1.3.3 Hypotheses and research questions
Approach:
Discussing the specific and concrete problems/difficulties of teaching
and learning of idiomatic expressions and multi-word verbs of English in Sudan
cannot be done in isolation from the educational and academic setting and the
general context: the students’ background, L2 etc and the teachers
among other variables/factors. In other words, there are other relevant obstacles
and causes which affect the teaching/learning of these multi-word jlexical items
in Sudan, apart from the inherent and potential problems/difficulties in the system
of the target language.
Therefore, the following categorization of these variables/factors can
be made:
1. Extrinsic : related to the general
academic environment, the status of the English Language and the ELT situation
in Sudan as well as syllabuses, materials, methodology etc.
2. Intrinsic : relevant to the
inherent and potential problems/difficulties of idiomatic expressions and multi-word
verbs and the general/whole system of the target language: i.e., intralingual.
3.
Intervening : These could be, for instance, the learners’ mother
tongue (L1) system etc. i.e., interlingual.
However, in this study, a greater emphasis was given to the intralingual/intrinsic
factors/variables, i.e., on the category 2 above.
1.3.3.1 Hypothesis
1.
Teaching and learning of idiomatic expressions and multi-word verbs of
English in Sudan face problems and difficulties.
Some specific and concrete problems, difficulties are as follows:
a) The
use of the wrong particle and/or preposition with verb.
b) Not
being able to understand the multi-word verbs, which are also idiomatic expressions.
c) Generally,
problems arise from the special nature of the multi-word verbs (their difficult
structural patterns. eg. with pronouns, their special stress patterns and so on).
d) Unless
one knows what a given idiomatic expression means, they cannot, as a rule, guess
its meaning from the words being combined. Every word in the following phrase,
for example, He’s burnt his boats is familiar enough, but the meaning of
the phrase cannot be pieced together from the meanings of its parts.
e) One
understands every word in a text and still fails to grasp what the text is all
about.
f)
One does not know whether for example, the words ‘fall out’ form
a unit of meaning (an idiom) or not.
2. These problems and difficulties are due to different reasons
including the following:
a) The
absence of idiomatic expressions and multi-word verbs from syllabuses.
b) Lack
and dearth of relevant/suitable materials
c) Lack
of attention and awareness of their importance
d) Unfamiliarity
of learners with those two components
e) Unfamiliarity
of some of the lecturers themselves with the literature dealing with their teaching/learning.
f)
Others: causes which could be related to the general situations
of English Language and ELT in Sudan.
3.
The solutions of those problems and the elimination of difficulties might
reside in the following:
a) The
introduction of a separate course on these two multi-word lexical items in the
tertiary level syllabus in Sudan. This
course have the title ‘idiomatic expressions and multi-word verbs’ or any similar
suitable one.
b) The
provision/selection of necessary and relevant materials especially those which
could be used as teaching and learning aids (dictionaries, textbooks, supplementary
materials, workbooks etc.)
c) To
direct the attention to their importance and raise the awareness of their position
and status in language.
d) To
familiarize the learners with those two complex and crucial but overlapping components
of vocabulary.
e) To
equip the lecturers with the recent literature dealing with the teaching and learning
of idiomatic expressions and multi-word verbs of English.
f)
To train the learners in the strategy of guessing the meaning
not from the words being combined alone, but from the context.
1.3.3.2 Research Questions
The following general and inter-related questions could be formulated on
the basis of the hypotheses made/cited in this study:
a) What
are exactly the problems/difficulties facing the teaching/learning of idiomatic
expressions and multi-word verbs in the context of Sudan?
b) What
are the possible causes of these problems/difficulties?
c) How
to solve these problems and eliminate these difficulties?
To test the hypotheses and answer the questions of this study, the researcher
uses the following elicitation techniques (besides the general survey of English
Language syllabuses in Sudan universities depending on the syllabuses’ documents.
See app.1)
a) Questionnaires
for teachers/lecturers and learners.
b) Tests:
pre-and post-tests for learners as well as an explicit course taught to the subjects
in-between the tests.
The
following section will deal with these devices in some detail.
1.3.4 Methodology of the research
The methodology used in this study, attempted to be as eclectic and comprehensive
as possible. It includes descriptive,
analytical and empirical data. The elicitation
techniques used for collecting the data are questionnaires (for teachers and learners)
as well as tests (pre and post-tests).
1.3.4.1 Research Instrument(s)
Since the purpose of the present study is to identify, describe and try
to solve the problems and eliminate the difficulties facing the teaching/learning
of idiomatic expressions and multi-word verbs of English in the context of Sudan,
we have to measure the subjects mastery or (lack thereof) of these two vocabulary
components. However, when dealing with vocabulary area, one has to consider a
large quantity of data which is time consuming but, here, for practical reasons,
we describe, present and analyse small-scale data. We hoped it would be sufficient instances and
fill the bill. That is using tightly controlled
data might be inevitable to examine the phenomenon more precisely.
For the reasons cited above, among others, the following tools are used:
·
a questionnaire for teachers;
·
a questionnaire for students;
·
a pre-test; and
·
a post-test
These written elicitation techniques seem to be practical instruments for
a study on ‘the teaching and learning of idiomatic expressions and multi-word
verbs of English’: They could elicit data about the problems/difficulties facing
the teaching and learning of idiomatic expressions and multi-word verbs. They are easy and quick methods for collecting
(a considerable) amount of data. They
are highly effective means of gathering data.
The rationale behind the combination of methods (the variety and diversity
of questions in questionnaires using concrete, verifying examples and the multiplicity
of questions and questions’ items in the tests) of data collection in this study
was to ensure, as much as possible, that our data should truly reflect the claims
being made here.
In general, the pre-test is meant for detecting the problems and difficulties
encountering the students learning idiomatic expressions and multi-word verbs
while the post-test is intended to measure the impact/the effectiveness of the
explicitly taught course on the performance of the students on these two components.
Meanwhile the questionnaires used to serve as validating techniques for
the tests, addressed the following issues:
·
general background information about he subjects: students’
profile.
·
eliciting the students and teachers views on the position
of idiomatic expressions and multi-word verbs in curriculum, materials, methodology
used, and actual classroom practice;
·
familiarity or non-familiarity of the students with idiomatic
expressions and multi-word verbs;
·
students and teachers conception/perception and awareness
of the problems/difficulties of teaching/learning of idiomatic expressions and
multi-word verbs.
Thus,
the students’ questionnaire consists of 27 questions while the teachers’ questionnaire
contains 17 questions. For the pre-test
and post-test, they include five questions each.
However, of close relevance to the post-test used in this research is an
explicitly taught course on idiomatic expressions and multi-word verbs which will
be considered below:
1.3.4.2 The Explicit Course on Idiomatic Expressions and Multi-word Verbs
Despite the paucity of research on the possibility of improving L2
vocabulary knowledge/mastery through the explicit instruction, we hypothesized
that our learners could benefit from explicit teaching of idiomatic expressions
and multi-word verbs. We believe that
such instruction would give EFL learners an exposure to a good dose of knowledge
to:
·
understand the concepts of idiomatic expressions and multi-word
verbs,
·
familiarize themselves with these terms,
·
raise their awareness,
·
involve them in the teaching/learning processes. The input must be accomplished through interactional
opportunities that the learners get in the acquisition/learning process itself.
·
train the students on vocabulary learning strategies,
especially guessing meaning from context.
In
general, the success of such special instruction may depend on how well it raises
the learner awareness about idiomatic expressions andmulti-word verbs, rules,
properties, features, and consciousness raising etc. for more details about the
course, see section 1.3.6.3 in this chapter.
1.3.5 Sampling and research population
As it has already been stated, the present study was conducted with the
aim to identify, describe, analyze and try to solve the problems/eliminate the
difficulties facing the teaching and learning of idiomatic expressions and multi-word
verbs of English, in the context of Sudan, since they are likely to be problematic
areas of language. The subjects of this
survey, were, therefore, easy to identify. They are Sudanese learners of English, at the
tertiary level. Before describing the
sample of our study, it may be useful to briefly show the ELT scenario in Sudan.
A
brief account of the ELT Scenario in Sudan
Teaching of English in Sudan starts from class five (basic education) and
continues until the end of the secondary education.
However, any student who wishes to join higher education has to study English
as a compulsory subject as a part of their certificate (Sudan Certificate) and
degree (university) courses. But those
who join the departments of English (either in education or arts faculties), to
specialize in English language and/or literature course, are given extensive training
in order to professionally fit, for instance, to teach English in schools or other
jobs diplomacy, translation etc., after graduation.
As for education faculty students, in addition to developing their language
skills, these students receive sufficient knowledge in both linguistics as well
as methodology: knowledge in educational and pedagogical theories while the arts
students besides language and linguistics courses focus on literature (See Appendix
1.a-g). For more details about the ELT situation in
Sudan, see chapter 3.
The population of the present study are the students of English
at the English departments who are studying English as their major specialization
at Sudan universities. The subjects are
expected to be teachers of English, for those graduated from education faculties
while those who completed arts programmes are to be translators, diplomats, etc.
the majority of our population received their basic and secondary education
(i.e., their general education) in government public schools and had studied English
for six years before joining the departments of English.
More specifically, our sample consists of students of English from
the Faculty of Education, University of Khartoum and the Faculty of Arts, Elneelain
University: both are in the capital Khartoum.
The major reason for choosing our sample from the above mentioned universities
is that they are the main universities in the Republic of Sudan: Though the two universities are situated in
the capital Khartoum, their students come from all over Sudan so they seem to
represent the whole country with its geographic and social diversity. It should be noted that only 25% of the sample
came from the capital while the rest of them (75%) came from different parts of
the country: widely distributed over the 25 remaining states. Therefore, they could be taken as representative
of the total population. Thus it was expected
that the results of our study could be generalized for the rest of the students
of other Sudan universities. However, the informants are representative
of learners as they typically appear to be in the English department of any Sudan
university.
Why
Third Year Students?
Since our research consists of an experiment on the value (efficiency)
of an explicit instruction course on idiomatic expressions and multi-word verbs
of English, we selected as our participants (subjects), the third year students
of the English language departments of the faculties of Education and Arts of
Khartoum and Elneelain Universities respectively. This choice is attributed to
the assumption that the students at third year level having completed at least
4-5 semesters syllabus were supposed to be advanced and proficient students in
English. Moreover, after one year they
would be passing out as bachelor degree holders with English. So they were expected to cope with a course
of advanced nature on idiomatic expressions and multi-word verbs. In other words, they have enough input 4-5
semesters exposure to language since this study required the learners to have
a considerable command of the basic grammatical rules of the target language.
The reasons for the exclusion of other students: first, second and fourth
year students are as follows:
1st
Year Students : Students are freshers usually involved in courses of
general nature, different courses in different subjects.
As they were absolutely freshers to the course, they would not have adequate
knowledge of these aspects.
2nd
Year Students : They had only one year of specialization i.e. studied
English as their major area only for a year after the preliminary year. Again,
this might not make them better qualified to cope with a complex and advanced
course on idiomatic expressions and multi-word verbs or any other course of similar
nature. In other words, we can say that they do not
have enough ‘input’ to deal these multi-word lexical items.
4th
Year Students : It is well known fact that the 4th
year is the graduation year (with the exception of the universities which award
the degree after the completion of 3 years or honors students – a five year course)
which required special effort and put heavy load on the students: Graduation project/research,
(dissertation), teaching practice for faculties of education students etc., which
make the then resistant to any additional responsibilities and new courses or
methods.
Therefore, the 3rd year students seem the best suitable audience
for our study/experimentation under the circumstances.
Sampling
In order for the samples to be representative, we selected the students
of English departments, faculties of Education
and Arts of Khartoum and Elneelain universities respectively. The following were the numbers of subjects.
TABLE
– 1
THE SAMPLE: THE SUBJECTS
(STUDENTS) PARTICIPATED IN THE STUDY
Small
Scale Sample
The sample size for the experiments/this study could not be expanded because
of the availability of limited number of students during the period of the study:
The academic year 1998-1999: (Sep.1998-April 1999).
The 35 students of the Faculty of Education, University of Khartoum are
the total number of students enrolled at third year at that time while for the
Faculty of Arts, Elneelain university, we get this number of students after the
exclusion of what are called as the ‘mature students’ (those are part-time students,
with different backgrounds, motivation, age etc., which might make the group heterogeneous).
For a detailed description of the students of this study see appendix 4:
students questionnaire especially the 1st ten questions as well as
Chapter 5 data collection, etc.
Teachers
So far, a description has been given about the subjects of this study:
they are learners of English at Sudan universities but there also other participants
contributing to this study; some are also teachers of English at Sudan universities.
Then there are the informants about: the syllabus, methodology, classroom
practice, teaching techniques, etc.
However, from a group of 75 teachers only 50 teachers responded to and
returned the questionnaire distributed to them.
These teachers are working in the two Universities selected for the experiment
(University of Khartom and Elneelain University) as well as other universities
in Sudan. Again, they seem representative
of the population of the whole English teachers working at the tertiary level
in Sudan. In fact, the questionnaire was
distributed to all the English teachers in Sudan universities but those who responded
and returned the forms numbered only 50.
In sum, the target audience is the Sudanese learners of English (in a number
of English departments – undergraduate students).
The subjects are Sudanese learners of English at the tertiary level.
The group taken had 100 students. The
samples were taken from their production (writing besides their reception, reading
and comprehension). The duration of the
experiment(s) is one semester. However,
the experiments had a twofold purpose: The first was to identify clearly the problems
and difficulties that hinder the teaching and learning of idiomatic expressions
and multi-word verbs of English in the context of Sudan. The second purpose was to evaluate the learners’
performance (and probably competence) after the introduction (=inclusion) of the
new means of handling the problems and difficulties of teaching and learning idiomatic
expressions and multi-word verbs of English. Besides these experiments, background profiles
of the candidates were also determined through a questionnaire (for learners and
teachers). For more details about the
teachers (qualifications and teaching experience), as informants, see the teachers’
questionnaire (appendix-3 esp. the last part of it). See also chapter 5, the section entitled: Data
Description and Analysis: Teachers’ Questionnaire.
1.3.6. Procedures
1.3.6.1 Description of the preparation of materials, administration,
scoring etc.
In general, the devices used in collecting the data, in this study, are:
questionnaires and tests. The teachers’
questionnaire was distributed to all the English teachers working at the tertiary
level but who responded and returned the questionnaire filled are 50.
for the students’ questionnaire it was administered only to the students
in Khartoum and Elneelain Universities in the first meeting with the students
(before the first session of the taught course) in the class and collected from
them after the completion (after one hour). This
administration of the questionnaire took place on 14-12-1998.
the pre-test was also administered to the subjects of the study on 15-12-1998.
Since the test is objective in nature, the correction was easy and made
by the researcher himself on the basis of the answers key with the exception of
the productive tasks (Q 1.b, Q 5) which are subjective and need personal judgement. For the post-test, which conducted after the introduction of the
explicitly taught course on idiomatic expressions and multi-word verbs, it was
given to the subjects on 15-4-1999. Since
it is parallel/alternative to the pre-test (having the same format) the post-test
was corrected using the same procedure above. Both tests have 100 marks. The subjects scores/marks were analysed in
the following manner:
·
Item-wise to have an idea about the students’ performance
in each item: numbers of correct/wrong answers in each item, types of errors etc.
·
Question-wise to know the students’ performance in each
area/category (verbal, nominal, adjectival and adverbial) and in each elicitation
technique/device (gap-filling, multiple-choice, sentence writing etc.)
·
Test-wise: to have insight in the overall performance
of the subjects and
·
Pre-test/post-test wise: to compare the performance of
the subjects before and after the introduction of the explicitly taught course
on idiomatic expressions and multi-word verbs.
1.3.6.2
Explanation of the Statistical Analyses used
in the study
Generally speaking, the statistics used in this research is very simple
and clear. The results obtained by the 4 data collection
tools used in this study were calculated percentage-wise. In the pre-test / post-test, we counted the
total number of the correct answers, produced by the 100 subjects in the 180 items
of the test, then there followed a count of the total number of wrong answers.
Afterwards, we calculated the percentage of the correct answers/wrong answers. For example, in the PRT, the total number of correct answers is
6942 and the total number of wrong answers is 11058. Since the total number of possible/expected answers is 18000 {=100
(number of students) X 180 (total number of the items in the test)}, the percentage
will be worked out as follows:
6942
11058
------- = 38.57%
and --------
= 61.43% respectively
18000 18000
In the students’ / teachers’ questionnaire, the respondents’ answers were
also calculated percentage-wise. In sum,
in analyzing the data I have used the percentage statistics. Hatch and Farhady (1982:43) state that to get
the exact details of the data, relative frequency should be used. So the percentage statistics, otherwise known
as relative frequency, were employed to analyze the data quantitively.
1.3.6.3 The conditions during the study
Materials were developed and administered during the regular term/semester
of the academic year of the students, 15-12-1998
– 15-4-1999. Thus, the course materials
were especially designed for the teaching/learning of idiomatic expressions and
multi-word verbs wit emphasis on the specific features that were found to be problematic
for the Sudanese learners of English as a foreign language. The explicit course
was given to the students of Arts and Education faculties of Elneelain and Khartoum
Universities respectively (The total number of the subjects involved in this course
is 100). In particular, the target group i.e. 3rd
level students, was taught for 4 months at the rate of 4 hours per week (between
December, 1998 to April, 1999).
It is important to mention here, that having realized the importance of
the course on idiomatic expressions and multi-word verbs for the students of English
departments, the administration of the Faculty of Education, University of Khartoum
and the Faculty of Arts, Elneelain University, represented by the Heads of these
departments, facilitated our mission by giving the permission to annex the course
with the regular syllabus meant for the students of these departments.
In the case of Elneelain University the course was attached as a part of
the regular course of ‘Linguistics’ as part of the semantic component: considering
the fact that idiomaticity is a semantic matter, whereas in the case of the students
of Khartoum University, it was taught as ‘special topic’ in language/linguistics.
For Elneelain University the introduced course was allotted a weight of
40 marks to be given by the researcher to the participating students in order
to ensure their enthusiasm/ motivation, attendance and cooperation throughout
the course period. For Khartoum University the same conditions applied (i.e.,
the course attached to the regular semester) but the total course marks (special
topic in language/linguistics) were devoted to the explicitly taught course on
idiomatic expressions and multi-word verbs.
For practical reasons, during the sessions of the course, the students
of both universities were not grouped together in one class (the distance between
the two campuses, the time table, the number of students etc.) However, the learners were exposed to the same
teaching instructions and methods.
This special, explicitly taught course on idiomatic expressions and multi-word
verbs was personally administered/taught by the researcher himself. The classes were conducted in the form group
work. It is a formal setting but friendly
atmosphere.
Some of the methods, classroom practices and teaching techniques used in
the course were:
·
The student as a researcher, and as a problem – solving
person;
·
The student as a teacher;
·
The main role of the teacher here is that of a facilitator
and an advisor.
Then
there the following practical steps:
·
The learners were given materials about idiomatic expressions
and multi-word verbs: handouts.
·
The learners were given the opportunity to try guessing
the target multi-word lexical items (idiomatic expressions/multi-word verbs).
·
The learners were made aware of a wider range of the strategies
of learning vocabulary with special emphasis on the strategy of inferring/guessing
the meaning from the context.
·
The learners were trained to use effectively the guessing
from context strategy in handling the meaning of idiomatic expressions/multi-word
verbs.
1.4 ORGANIZATION
This thesis has mainly two parts: Theoretical and Practical/Empirical:
(seven chapters: introduction + three under the 1st part and two +
conclusion under the 2nd).
PART
ONE (Theoretical)
Chapter
one (the present chapter) serves as a general introduction to the whole thesis.
Chapter
Two: Literature review
A summary of the previous publications and researches on
the problems and difficulties of teaching and learning idiomatic expressions and
multi-word verbs of English.
Chapter
Three: The place (position) of idiomatic expressions
and multi-word verbs of English in language and syllabus.
In this chapter we examine and show the place (position) of idiomatic expressions
and multi-word verbs of English in:
·
English Language in general (including the skills of listening,
speaking, reading and writing besides comprehension).
·
The existing syllabi (syllabuses) of the English Language
departments at the Universities in Sudan. Moreover,
in this chapter, we will try to know how the students actually such complex expressions
at these universities.
·
Also, in this chapter, we try to state (show) the importance
of idiomatic expressions and multi-word verbs of English for:
·
The native speaker.
·
The learner.
Chapter
Four: A general linguistic survey and a detailed semantic study:
It includes the following under this chapter:
1.
A general linguistic study (survey) of idiomatic expressions and multi-word
verbs of English: encompassing the following levels:
a) Phonological
and orthographical (survey)
b) Grammatical
(syntactic and morphological (survey), and
c) Stylistic
2. A detailed semantic study:
·
Definition of idiomatic expressions and multi-word verbs
of English.
·
What is the relationship between idiomatic expressions
and multi-word verbs of English?
·
Lexico-semantic study
·
Also we shall contrast, compare and relate idiomatic expressions
and multi-word verbs of English to the native speech of our subjects in terms
of ::
·
Metaphors and proverbs
·
colloquial (informal) language
·
slang
PART
TWO (Practical and Empirical)
Chapter
Five: What are the Problems/Difficulties of Teaching/Learning
of Idiomatic expressions and Multi-Word Verbs of English in Sudan?
In this chapter, an attempt is made to state clearly (based on the experiments)
the problems and difficulties of teaching and learning idiomatic expressions and
multi-word verbs of English. The data
(corpuses) were taken from the Sudanese students’ (production and reception) at
the University level. Besides, the above,
there are questionnaire for teachers and lecturers.
In this chapter, we shall also try to account for learners’ errors (through
error analysis techniques).
Chapter
six: How to Solve/Eliminate the Problems/Difficulties
of Teaching and Learning Idiomatic Expressions and Multi-Word Verbs of English
in the Context of Sudan?
In this chapter, we present or introduce vocabulary teaching/learning models
and theories (eg: contextualization) and multi-word verbs of English, in the light
of the mentalistic view of language, the cognitive theories of learning and teaching
(explicitness and conceptualization). In
other words, we applied, here, the principles, techniques, strategies etc., of
teaching/learning vocabulary in dealing with these special vocabulary components:
multi-word lexical items within the framework of the mentalistic/cognitive view
of language teaching and learning.
Chapter
seven: Summary and Conclusion
After the six chapters the following segments will follow:
a) Summary and Conclusion(s)
b) Recommendations and suggestions
In this chapter, we summarize the thesis as well as provide appropriate
recommendations. The following suggestions
are made:
·
The introduction of an explicit course on idiomatic expressions
and multi-word verbs in the English Language syllabus at the tertiary level in
Sudan.
·
Training the students in the strategy of guessing idiomatic
expressions and multi-word verbs from context for it leads towards the macro-goal
of developing vocabulary and reading skills.
·
The necessity of devising/compiling a basic list for idiomatic
expressions and multi-word verbs to serve as a basis for teaching/learning these
vocabulary components by drawing on it in devising materials etc.
1.5 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
Overall, the study revealed that the teaching/learning of idiomatic expressions
and multi-word verbs of English in the context Sudan faced various and different
problems and difficulties which are as result of several external and internal
factors such as the inherent/political difficulty and complexity of these multi-word
lexical items in the system of the target language (English) as well as those
related to the students’ possible means for solving these problems and eliminating
these difficulties might reside in introducing an explicitly taught course on
IEX/MWV working within the framework of the mentalistic/cognitive view of language
teaching/learning among other suggested ways to improve the situation. The
evidence of the effectiveness of the course is the significant difference between
the subjects’ performance in the pre-test and the post-test.
In the PRT the total number and percentage(s) of correct/wrong answers
are as follows: 6942 (38.57%) / 11058 (61.43%) respectively while for the POT
they are: 17025 (94.58%)/975 (5.42%).
It is hoped this study could fill a gap in the teaching and learning of
idiomatic expressions and multi-word verbs (and English language in general) in
the context of Sudan. The researcher also hopes that his exploitation of this
study in the context of world since idiomatic expressions and multi-word verbs
seem to be one of the promising areas for further study in different and various
settings.