Speaker
Abstract section 1: Relevance
This study examines Japanese university learners’ knowledge of common English phrasal verbs. A translation-based test of 30 phrasal verbs was administered to 123 students. Results show substantial variation in learner knowledge, with accuracy ranging from 97% to 9%. Literal and semantically transparent phrasal verbs were generally easier, while idiomatic and less transparent items were more difficult. Phrasal verbs with a single dominant meaning tended to be recognized more often than highly polysemous items. Correlation analysis revealed no significant relationship between frequency ranking and learner knowledge, suggesting that semantic transparency and polysemy play a greater role than frequency in learner comprehension.
Abstract section 4: Outcomes/results
Results show considerable variation in Japanese learners’ knowledge of phrasal verbs. Semantically transparent and literal items such as come back, go back, and grow up were answered correctly by most students, while idiomatic items such as figure out, turn out, and come up were much more difficult. Phrasal verbs with a single dominant meaning were generally recognized more often than highly polysemous items. However, correlation analyses showed no significant relationship between frequency ranking and learner knowledge. These findings suggest that semantic transparency and the degree of polysemy play a greater role than frequency in learners’ comprehension of phrasal verbs.
Abstract section 3: Content/method
After establishing a new frequency ranking of phrasal verbs integrated into a single-word frequency list, this study tested 123 Japanese university learners of varying proficiency levels using a matching translation task. Learner performance was then compared with the new frequency rankings. The results were also analyzed in relation to the degree of polysemy and semantic transparency of the phrasal verbs to examine how these factors influence learner knowledge.
Abstract section 2: Contribution/research questions
The presentation addresses two research questions: (1) Which phrasal verbs are known by Japanese university learners? and (2) What factors influence learner knowledge of these items? A translation test of 30 phrasal verbs was administered to 123 students. Results show that semantically transparent phrasal verbs are generally easier, while idiomatic and polysemous items are more difficult, suggesting that transparency and polysemy influence learner comprehension more than frequency alone.
| Title | Phrasal Verb Knowledge of Japanese University Learners |
|---|---|
| Commercial Promotion | No |
| Language | English |
| Teaching Context | College and university education |