Teaching vocabulary through collocations in EFL Classes: The case of Turkey

Abstract

When vocabulary teaching is taken into account in EFL classes in Turkish state primary schools, teachers generally prefer to use classical techniques. The purpose of this study is to find out the effect of a relatively new vocabulary teaching technique; teaching vocabulary through collocations. Pre-test/Post-test Control Group Design was employed in this study. Fifty-nine (59) seventh (7th) grade students from two classrooms in a lower-middle class, suburban state primary school in Konya, Turkey participated in this study. The experimental group was taught new words using collocation technique; the control group was taught new words using classical techniques such as synonym, antonym, definition and mother tongue translation as it was in the previous reading classes before the study. The statistical analysis revealed that teaching vocabulary through collocations results in a better learning of the words than presenting them using classical techniques and enhances retention of new vocabulary items. Teaching vocabulary through collocations can be an effective factor in helping students remember and use the new words easily in primary school EFL classes. Therefore, teachers of English could be encouraged to attach more importance to vocabulary teaching rather than the acquisition of grammar and the use of current vocabulary teaching strategies in their classes.