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This presentation reports on a study that shows that Japanese university students’ vocabulary size strongly correlates with their knowledge of common phrasal verbs, though several frequent verbs remain poorly known. Despite MEXT policy emphasis, high-frequency multiword expressions may still be under-taught in schools. The findings highlight the need for more systematic instruction of phrasal verbs in English education in Japan.
Abstract
Despite MEXT’s (2018) strong emphasis on teaching common multi-word sequences in secondary English education, research consistently shows that this area remains underdeveloped in Japanese high schools. Studies such as Matsuo (2000), Kikuchi and Browne (2009), and Nakayama (2022) suggest that both teachers and learners continue to prioritize preparation for university entrance exams, which often feature low-frequency vocabulary, leaving little room for systematic instruction in high-frequency phrases. This pattern is reflected in findings by Brown and Coulson (2022) and Brown (2025), who reported minimal gains in students’ productive collocational competence over three years of high school study.
More recent work offers a different perspective on this issue. For example, Author (2024) found that Japanese university students’ knowledge of common English phrases, measured with the Phrasal Vocabulary Test (Martinez & Schmitt, 2012), correlated positively with their knowledge of individual words. A follow-up study (Author, 2025) showed a similarly strong relationship between receptive collocational knowledge and vocabulary size.
This presentation reports on a study examining receptive knowledge of phrasal verbs and vocabulary knowledge among 152 Japanese university students (CEFR A2–C1). Pearson correlations were positive and significant (r = .69, p < .01), indicating that gains in vocabulary knowledge are closely associated with increased understanding of common phrasal verbs. Nonetheless, several high-frequency phrasal verbs remained unfamiliar across proficiency levels.
The presentation concludes with implications for instruction and future research on integrating phrasal verbs more effectively into English language education in Japan.
References
Author. (2024). Exploring knowledge of English phrases among Japanese university students [Conference Presentation]. PanSIG 2024, Fukui University of Technology, Fukui.
Author. (2025). Assessing receptive knowledge of collocations among Japanese university students [Conference Presentation]. PanSIG 2025, Kanda University of International Studies, Kanda.
Brown, D. (2025). The development and initial validation of LexCombi 2: a research-oriented elicitation instrument for L2 learners’ productive collocation knowledge. International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching. 10.1515/iral-2024-0271.
Brown, D., & Coulson, D. (2023). The relationship between productive knowledge of L2 collocations and proficiency in listening, reading, speaking, and writing. [Conference Presentation]. EUROSLA 32, The University of Birmingham
Kikuchi, K., & Browne, C. (2009). English educational policy for high schools in Japan. RELC Journal, 40(2), 172–191. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033688209105865
Martinez, R & Schmitt, N. (2012). A Phrasal Expressions List. Applied Linguistics. 33. 299-320. 10.1093/applin/ams010.
Matsuo, H. (2000). An Analysis of Japanese High School English Textbooks and University Entrance Examinations: A Comparison of Vocabulary.
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). (2018). Kōtōgakkō gakushū shidō yōryō [Course of study for senior high school]. https://www.mext.go.jp/en/policy/education/elsec/title02/detail02/1373859.htm
Nakayama, S. (2022). A close examination of vocabulary in Japanese EFL textbooks. In P. Ferguson, & R. Derrah (Eds.), Reflections and new perspectives. JALT. https://doi.org/10.37546/ JALTPCP2021-24.
Short summary
This presentation reports on a study that shows that Japanese university students’ vocabulary size strongly correlates with their knowledge of common phrasal verbs, though several frequent verbs remain poorly known. Despite MEXT policy emphasis, high-frequency multiword expressions may still be under-taught in schools. The findings highlight the need for more systematic instruction of phrasal verbs in English education in Japan.
Keywords
vocabulary, testing, phrasal verbs
| Title | Knowledge of English phrasal verbs among Japanese university students |
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