Multi-word Units Research Articles

Exploring the functions of lexical bundles in undergraduate opinion paragraphs for pedagogical use

Abstract Corpus-based studies of lexical bundles have opened new avenues for language teaching research. The fact that naturally occurring language consists of patterns of lexical repetition and multi-word units has given rise to the question of chunkiness in learner language. This study was designed to examine lexical bundles and their functions in a small, specialized learner corpus of opinion paragraphs written by Saudi English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students at the University of Jeddah. The study takes a frequency-driven approach to identify common lexical bundles. A learner corpus of 237 writing tasks produced by Saudi undergraduate students from 11 different sections is compiled and explored. The primary aim was to identify high-frequency five-word lexical bundles and explore their functions in the learner corpus, as well as investigate any distributional differences in bundle use across the various student sections. The findings revealed that learners utilized lexical bundles primarily to serve four key functions: expressing stance, supporting a point, introducing an item, and making recommendations. Notably, variations were observed in the distribution of these functional categories among the different student groups. The study concludes by outlining some pedagogical applications for educators and language practitioners, highlighting the value of learner corpus-informed approaches to enhancing learners’ awareness and mastery of lexical patterning in academic writing. By better understanding the role of formulaic language in learner production, instructors can tailor their teaching to more effectively support students’ linguistic development.

Initialisms in Scientific Writing in the 19th and Early 20th Centuries

This paper focusses on the role of initialisms in scientific English articles in the Royal Society Corpus (Fischer et al. 2020; Kermes et al. 2016). The development of scientific initialisms is illustrated with frequency data, a discussion of the evolution of the text topics obtained from topic modelling and an analysis of the development of information-theoretic surprisal values of initialisms in three time spans between 1830 and 1919. The overall frequency and diversity of initialisms for scientific concepts has risen considerably between 1830 and 1919 in the context of the ongoing specialisation of the sciences. Particularly from the 1860s onwards scientific initialisms increasingly become shortcuts for multiword units with wordhood and term status. The surprisal values of scientific initialisms decrease over time as such forms more regularly occur in conventionalised textual contexts and fixed expressions. Overall, the analysis of the RSC texts shows that key developments towards the conventionalisation of scientific initialisms as term formation patterns took place in the transitional period from Late Modern to Present-day English.

Chunking in the Second Language: Implications for Language Learning and Teaching

Among the various challenges that adult and other late language learners face on their journey to achieving nativelike proficiency, chunking has been identified as one of the most difficult tasks to master. Language users are able to derive and utilize chunks during language processing—both in the first (L1) and the second language (L2)—yet the extent to which the L2 learners utilize and benefit from chunking is not on a par with L1 speakers. L2 learners are generally less sensitive to the statistical regularities in the linguistic input and possess a smaller repertoire of multiword expressions, leaving them susceptible to slower real-time language processing, hampered comprehension during conversation, and distinct production errors. Drawing on insights from Brian MacWhinney's Unified Competition Model of L1 and L2 acquisition, this review examines these unique challenges in L2 chunking as a function of differences between L1 and L2 learning. According to the Unified Competition Model, the existence of deeply entrenched L1 linguistic representations may hinder effective L2 chunking by encouraging over-segmentation in favor of L1 transference at the lexical level and diverting the necessary attention away from the grammatical elements in prefabricated multiword units. Based on these observations, we offer practical suggestions for educators to facilitate chunking in L2 learners and bring them closer to nativelike fluency.

TED Talks and the Textbook: An In-Depth Lexical Analysis

The development of TED Talks textbooks has been a welcoming addition to English for Academic Purposes (EAP) pedagogy. The textbooks offer educators and learners a suitable framework for practicing all four of the language skills (i.e., listening, reading, speaking, and writing). However, the use of TED Talk resources could create specific vocabulary challenges for learners as they progress through each unit in the textbook. Research suggests that although textbook frameworks encompassing listening resources benefit learners with a familiar lesson approach, the varying vocabulary load and the presence of academic vocabulary and multiword units (MWUs) presented between the chosen resources and the textbook itself could lead to comprehension difficulties for learners. This study investigates the vocabulary of 12 TED Talks included in the commercial textbook Keynote 2 to understand the lexical profile, vocabulary load, and the academic and multiword unit coverage for each of the chosen listening texts. The results showed that the TED Talks selections and the textbook provided inadequate vocabulary practice, limited academic vocabulary exposure, and a lack of item repetition for learners. The study suggests the inclusion of ideal supplementary materials and appropriate TED Talk selections to help provide educators with suitable guidance to support their learners’ varying vocabulary knowledge.

Vocabulary learning in EMI courses: A longitudinal study of Chinese university students over a term

This paper reports the results of research investigating EMI students' vocabulary gain over a term of study (10–12 weeks) at a university in China. Though vocabulary learning is usually considered by stakeholders to be an underlying goal of EMI, relatively little empirical research systematically explores EMI students' vocabulary gains. We examined EMI students' learning outcomes of receptive and productive general and academic vocabulary, as well as multi-word units. Data was collected from 114 students taking EMI courses in various subject areas using a range of vocabulary knowledge tests, including the vocabulary levels test (VLT), the productive vocabulary levels test (PVLT) and a multi-word units test. Findings reveal some significant gains in students' vocabulary knowledge but with small effect sizes. Significant vocabulary gain was found in students’ general vocabulary receptive and productive knowledge as well as in their productive academic vocabulary and knowledge of multi-word units. Their productive vocabulary knowledge was considerably lower at both data collection points, even though students showed more improvement in productive than receptive vocabulary. Greater vocabulary gains were observed in students who attended more EMI classes. The results suggest that vocabulary gain might not be taken for granted as a by-product of EMI.

Obraz nienawiści w polszczyźnie (w świetle danych leksykograficznych)

The article is an attempt to construct a partial image of hate in Polish, following the principles of Lublin cognitive ethnolinguistics. The data come from general and specialized dictionaries of Polish, specifically concerning the words nienawidzić ‘to hate’ and nienawiść ‘hatred, hate’: their contemporary and earlier forms and meanings, typical uses, relationships to other lexemes (synonyms, antonyms), collocations and other multi-word units. The analysis has revealed the most entrenched (in Polish and the minds of its speakers) descriptive and evaluative aspects of the concept of hate. It has been found that hate is a feeling that arises primarily in relation to other people, and secondarily to reality at large. It is caused by a negative attitude to and evaluation of the object(s) of hate, triggering unpleasent experiences in the person who feels it. This, in turn, leads to an emotional, intellectual, and volitional stance, characterized by a profound dislike towards the object of hate, and even a will to cause harm. Hate is a strong and violent feeling (similar to fire), uncontrollable and depriving people who feel it of a rational assessment of the situation. It is long-lasting but also internally dynamic: its intensity may rise or fall, subject to change depending on the action taken.

Technical vocabulary in government spoken communications: The team of five million in bubbles, PPE and CBACs

AbstractThe New Zealand government delivered regular 1 p.m. televised COVID‐19 briefings from March 2020. These events had a crucial communicative function and were usually headed by top government and medical officials. This study focuses on technical vocabulary in a corpus made up of these briefings, including single words (grouped into technical word families) and acronyms (e.g., bubble and PPE) as well as the most frequent two to five‐word multiword units (MWUs; e.g., case numbers, genomic sequencing, and chains of transmission) containing at least one technical single‐word family member. The corpus consists of 20 prepared speeches: 10 each in 2020 and 2021 by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Director‐General of Health Dr. Ashley Bloomfield (50,782 tokens). The results showed that 6.02% of the single‐word families (e.g., outbreak(‐s), contact(‐s/‐less)) in the texts were technical, which may present a challenge for comprehension. Unsurprisingly, the Director‐General of Health used more technical vocabulary than the Prime Minister. The top 20 MWUs containing technical vocabulary were identified in the corpus. Most were two‐word collocations (e.g., negative test, testing centre/s, and number of tests). Implications for identifying and dealing with technical vocabulary in both government communications and language education are discussed.

Maximising the potential of plurilingual subtitled audiovisual input: learning L3 words and multiword units with L2 audio

ABSTRACT Purpose This study proposes the use of plurilingual audiovisual input, combining viewers’ L2 English audio with an L3 target language subtitles, to facilitate beginners’ acquisition from original version television. Methodology We divided 84 beginner learners of Spanish into experimental and control groups, assessing their learning of target single and multiword units using a pre-/posttest design, measured with a Vocabulary Knowledge Scale. The experimental group watched twelve episodes of a TV series in the original L2 English version with L3 Spanish subtitles. Findings Statistical analyses revealed that the experimental group was nearly ten times more likely to score higher on the posttest than the control group, demonstrating a strong impact of plurilingual audiovisual input on vocabulary learning. Additionally, multiword units were learned better than single words. Originality This study breaks new ground in audiovisual input research by providing empirical evidence that incorporating a plurilingual approach benefits language learning and teaching.

Teaching Phrasal Verbs and Idiomatic Expressions Through Multimodal Flashcards

This study investigates the effectiveness of various practice modes in learning multiword units, specifically phrasal verbs and idiomatic expressions, through a multimodal online flashcard delivery system that allows students to read, write, listen to, and speak the target multiword vocabulary items. The study, based on data from 229 first-year Japanese EFL university students, investigates how various practice modes in reading, writing, speaking, and listening impact short-term memorization and long-term comprehension of multiword units. The analysis involved multiple regression using random forests to ascertain significance, alongside dominance analysis with relative weights for determining relative importance. Results indicate that while productive practice modes (writing and speaking) are crucial for short-term memorization, register-specific practice modes (speaking and listening) play a significant role in long-term acquisition. This study highlights the importance of integrating multimodal flashcard practice with practical use activities in the classroom to enhance vocabulary learning outcomes. Finally, the results of this study suggest that encouraging students to interact with their target language through multiple modes is meaningful for greater acquisition of multiword vocabulary. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of effective strategies for EFL learners in acquiring multiword vocabulary units and underscores the importance of multimodal approaches in language education.

Words can only get us so far

The traditional ontological division between the lexicon and grammar has often resulted in a reductionist view of the lexicon and lexical competence as composed of individual words in isolation. This narrow view of the lexicon has transcended disciplinary boundaries and is apparent in the focus on single words of widely used psycholinguistic measures of language (e.g. picture naming, verbal fluency, lexical decision) and cognitive ability alike (e.g. Stroop, recall in working memory span). This article argues that such an approach has imposed limitations on the questions that can be examined by researchers and on the generalizability of some results. Here I propose that, rather than assigning multiword units their own ‘niche’ in psycholinguistic studies, they should be viewed as part of the way core lexical competence is measured and conceptualized, both in monolingual and bilingual speakers. I also review promising advances in recent years brought about by a surge in the number of studies focused on multiword units and by new tasks of individual cognitive skill (e.g. multiword-based chunking ability). These hold the potential to allow for a cross-disciplinary shift in the examination of lexical competence as grounded in community-based norms and in line with current usage-based approaches.

PRINCIPLES OF COMPILING A GERMAN-UKRAINIAN DICTIONARY OF PARONYMS

This article addresses the principles of selecting paronyms and the methodology for compiling an electronic German-Ukrainian dictionary of paronyms using a corpus-based approach and systematic analysis to identify similarities and differences in the use of paronyms in speech. The author presents a concept of paronymy as a systemic phenomenon involving etymologically related words with similar morphemic structures but different meanings. By conducting a comparative analysis of collocations, the study identified 1,836 paronyms organized into paronymic series, each comprising two to nine components. The article examines existing dictionaries of paronyms and highlights their lexicographic shortcomings, such as excessive normative/prescriptive orientation, inadequate development of dictionary entries from both linguistic and didactic perspectives, and a lack of rigorous evaluations of modern data to inform dictionary compilation. The ideal paronym dictionary should rely on corpus data, providing reliable information with generalizations about individual word uses within conventionalized language usage. Corpus-based tools, such as those used for contrasting near-synonyms, systematically identify similarities and differences between paronyms in a contrastive manner. This process determines the degree of semantic closeness among expressions with similar contextual usage by comparing their immediate collocational patterns. The recorded semantic closeness or distance between paronyms is based on their contextual overlap in usage. The lexicographic processing of the selected paronyms was carried out with TshwaneLex, a computer-based dictionary creation software that allows lexicographers to develop dictionaries for any language without requiring advanced IT skills. TshwaneLex offers various features such as automatic cross-reference tracking, advanced dictionary comparison/merge functionality, and support for all world languages through full Unicode compatibility. The lemma editing process uses a tree-based interface to represent the hierarchical structure of the lemma, including different meanings, submeanings, word formations, multi-word units, examples of usage, cross-references, and more. Furthermore, the input/output architecture is designed to support the development of additional interfaces for various data sources as add-ons or plug-ins, facilitating other output formats. The article notes that a PHP-based software module is currently available for hosting the TshwaneLex dictionary on the internet, providing an accessible platform for electronic dictionary publication.

Multiword constructions in European Parliament conference English: a corpus-driven pedagogical list

ABSTRACT The market demand for retour interpreting, especially into English as a B language, has driven training needs for B language enhancement. Interpreter trainers suggest memorising (semi-)fixed expressions in one’s B language to enhance accuracy, fluency, and idiomaticity. These prefabricated multiword units ease processing effort in both language production and comprehension while signalling one’s identity in a professional community. This study aims to create a pedagogical list of multiword constructions (MWCs) for conference interpreting purposes. A corpus-driven approach was adopted to identify four-word lexical bundles from a 664,732-word corpus comprising transcribed speeches interpreted into or delivered in English during European Parliament (EP) plenary sessions. The bundles were combined into MWCs more complete in structure and meaning. The MWCs were categorised based on their degree of specificity, meaning, and possible operations and functions in simultaneous interpreting (SI). Two major categories of MWCs were distinguished: Specific and Less Specific. Specific MWCs refer to EU-oriented or non-EU-oriented concrete concepts. Less Specific MWCs, being less substantial in meaning, may act as open grammar devices, padding, and sometimes tone-softener in SI. As part of a three-step pedagogical task, a complete annotated interpreted speech illustrates how an EP interpreter uses MWCs to frame ideas and develop discourse.

체코어 기능동사 복합술어 구문에 대한 어휘·문법적 접근

This paper provides a well-founded approach to the type of complex predicate where two syntactic elements serve as a single predicate in Czech. Czech complex predicates are composed of so-called ‘Verbe support(fr.)’ in the verbal part and predicative nouns in nominal part. This type of construction can be found inter-linguistically in many of languages, such as Czech, English and Korean that are typologically different. The study of the complex predicates lies in the question of ‘to what extent can the syntactic and semantic properties of multi-word units be deduced from the properties of their respective parts.’ This study examines the fundamental grammatical properties of Czech complex predicates, the lexical and semantic properties of the Verbe support as a functional category and the predicative nouns as a semantic core of the construction, based on their complex interaction in the frame of the constructions with light verbs.

L1-L2 congruency as a criterion to identify collocations based on contrastive analysis

In lexicon studies, L1-L2 congruency refers to the similarity in form and meaning of the way a word or phrase is said between two languages. If there is low L1-L2 congruency, the learning burden of a word or phrase can be higher. For example, an unacceptable structure could be produced when L2 (second language) learners directly use translation strategy to formulate English multiword units (MWUs). Thus, it would be ideal if such language items were identified and teachers brought students’ attention to them. This current study will use L1-L2 congruency as a criterion to identify English MWUs with low congruency with their Persian equivalents to create a resource for Persian-speaking English learners. A L1-L2 contrastive analysis was conducted on Rogers’ (2017) list of approximately 11,000 high-frequency MWUs. This list was translated, and the items were given ratings regarding their congruency in Persian. The results revealed that more than 60 per cent of the items examined were incongruent with their translations, demonstrating that L1-L2 congruency is a significant factor in selecting MWUs for Persian-speaking English learners. Thus, this study indicates that to avoid errors in MWU production, focusing on incongruent items may be beneficial for such learners.

Finite State Automata on Multi-Word Units for Efficient Text-Mining

Text mining is crucial for analyzing unstructured and semi-structured textual documents. This paper introduces a fast and precise text mining method based on a finite automaton to extract knowledge domains. Unlike simple words, multi-word units (such as credit card) are emphasized for their efficiency in identifying specific semantic areas due to their predominantly monosemic nature, their limited number and their distinctiveness. The method focuses on identifying multi-word units within terminological ontologies, where each multi-word unit is associated with a sub-domain of ontology knowledge. The algorithm, designed to handle the challenges posed by very long multi-word units composed of a variable number of simple words, integrates user-selected ontologies into a single finite automaton during a fast pre-processing step. At runtime, the automaton reads input text character by character, efficiently locating multi-word units even if they overlap. This approach is efficient for both short and long documents, requiring no prior training. Ontologies can be updated without additional computational costs. An early system prototype, tested on 100 short and medium-length documents, recognized the knowledge domains for the vast majority of texts (over 90%) analyzed. The authors suggest that this method could be a valuable semantic-based knowledge domain extraction technique in unstructured documents.

The Processing of Multiword Units by Learners of English: Evidence from Pause Placement in Writing Process Data

Different methods and sources of information have been proposed in the literature to study the processing of language and, in particular, instances of formulaic language such as multiword units. This article explores the possibility of using pause placement in writing process data to determine the likelihood that a multiword unit is processed as a whole in the mind. The data are texts produced by learners of English and corresponding keylog files from the Process Corpus of English in Education (PROCEED). N-grams are selected on the basis of the finished texts and retrieved from the keylogging data. The pause placement patterns of these n-grams are coded and serve as a basis to compute the Pause Placement and Processing (PPP) score. This score relies on the assumption that n-grams which are delineated but not interrupted by pauses (hence taking the form of ‘bursts of writing’) are more likely to be processed holistically. The PPP score points to structurally complete n-grams such as in fact and first of all as being more likely to be processed holistically than structurally incomplete n-grams such as that we and to the. While the results are plausible and can be further substantiated by characteristics of specific n-grams, it is acknowledged that additional effects might also be at work to explain the results obtained.

Now they accept it, now they don’t: Acceptability judgements of nontypical multiword units in Russian as a native and a heritage language

Aims/objectives/research questions: Heritage speakers have been shown to use multiword units, which merge structural elements of both their languages, which do not conform to the combinability patterns of the monolingual variety. However, it is not clear to what extent heritage speakers actually have the knowledge of the corresponding monolingual sequences. The present study on Russian heritage speakers in Germany addresses the question of whether heritage speakers have receptive knowledge of monolingual multiword units that they do not command in production. Design/methodology/approach: The study followes a mixed methods design by combining corpus and experimental methodology. Data/analyses: First, language production data of heritage speakers from two corpora were analysed for nontypical multiword units with prepositional phrases. In the second step, these nontypical multiword units as well as their typical monolingual equivalents served as test items in an acceptability judgement task performed by 53 Russian-German heritage speakers and 56 Russian native speakers. Findings/conclusions: The results show that heritage and native speakers rate nontypical multiword units as less acceptable than their monolingual equivalents. However, the acceptability of typical and the unacceptability of nontypical expressions were more salient for native speakers, whereas heritage speakers in many cases tended to equally accept typical and nontypical items. Acceptability ratings varied according to test items in both groups, but there was no overlap between nontypical multiword units most acceptable to monolinguals and those most acceptable to heritage speakers. Originality: Our paper applies an innovative mixed method approach in investigating the receptive knowledge of monoloigual multiword units in heritage speakers. Additionally, it is one of the first studies looking at the reactions of native spekaers to novel multiword units produced by heritage speakers. Implications: The findings support the idea of a unified multilingual construction, suggesting that heritage speakers do have some receptive knowledge of monolingual multiword units but this knowledge differs from that of monolingual speakers.

A comparative analysis of multiword units in the reading and listening input of English textbooks

This study examines the occurrence and function of multiword units (MWUs) found in reading and listening input within EFL textbooks commonly used at a Vietnamese university. Lists of MWUs were automatically extracted from this input based on frequency, range, and mutual information score criteria, followed by manual evaluation via a classification framework developed by Simpson-Vlach and Ellis (2010). A final merged list of English textbook MWUs which was used to compare the frequency and functions of MWUs across reading and listening input. The findings revealed significant differences in MWU occurrence and function between reading and listening input, with MWUs occurring more frequently in oral input compared with written input. High frequency spoken MWUs had higher frequency counts than their high frequency written counterparts. A wider range of MWUs were produced in written input, with fewer MWUs being repeatedly used. Reading input exhibited a notably lower presence of stance expressions when contrasted with listening input, while special conversational functions featured more prominently in listening input. The findings suggest EFL teachers and material developers should carefully consider the presence and functions of MWUs found in textbooks, and whether textbook input should be supplemented with other suitable input forms to help learners improve learners’ knowledge and use of MWUs.

(Slovenska) leksika med leksikonom in slovnico

The article deals with a field labelled in linguistics as a “grey area” between lexical or semantic and syntactic problem areas in language. Our conclusions are based on the recognition that it is impossible to separate lexical knowledge from grammatical knowledge, and that lexical units are, in this sense, equally loaded with the meaning and syntactic potential of language. Taking this as a point of departure, we propose procedures, by compiling Word Sketches for Slovene within the Word Sketch Engine, for the syntactic and semantic identification of multi-word lexical units within the boundaries of the relevant context.

DDL Learning in ESP Teaching: An Exploratory Study on Multi-Word Unit Usage in Business Letters

DDL Learning in ESP Teaching: An Exploratory Study on Multi-Word Unit Usage in Business Letters