Effect of Persian and English colour collocations on L2 learners' proficiency

Mahmood Hashemian

doi:10.31940/jasl.v3i1.1341

Abstract

Collocations play an important role in L2 teaching and learning. The present study investigated the effect of color collocations in L2 learning. This study was done in 2 phases: In the first phase, the frequency of color collocations was calculated in English and Persian. Two lists of English and Persian color collocations were chosen. Each list included 100 color collocations. The English collocations were chosen from English collocation dictionaries, but the Persian color collocations were chosen by the Persian native speakers. Chi-square results indicated that there were some differences between the 2 languages, but the differences were not statistically significant. In the second phase, the (possible) effect of color collocations on upper-intermediate and advanced L2 learners� proficiency was investigated. Sixty upper-intermediate and advanced L2 learners, both male and female, were chosen from a private language institute in Isfahan, Iran. The minimum and maximum ages of the participants were about 15-38, and their homogeneity was tested by the OPT. Participants were given a pretest in order to measure their color collocational knowledge. Then, after the treatment, a posttest was administered. Results revealed that teaching collocations had a significant effect on the participants� proficiency.

Highlights

Using collocations is an irrefutable part of everyday life
The results showed the frequency of the yellow collocations was 8 in Persian and among English collocations was 7, the frequencies were so close to each other but, in English, it was the last one and, in Persian, it was in the fifth place compared to other colours
Some similarities and differences were found out in the Persian and English colour collocations, the chi-square had to be calculated in order to show if the differences were significant or not

Summary

Introduction

Using collocations is an irrefutable part of everyday life. No one can deny the extreme usage of collocations in everyday conversations, writing, reading, and so forth. Collocations are used to express abstract meanings and make them more concrete. According to The Etymology Dictionary, the word collocation is derived from the Latin word collocationsem, which means “place together.”. L2 learners confuse collocations with idioms or proverb. Idiom is a phrase or a fixed expression that has a figurative meaning whose figurative meaning is different from its literal meaning. Proverb is usually a sentence which is popularly known and repeated that expresses a truth based on common sense or the practical experience of humanity.

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Conclusion