COLLOCATION LEARNING STRATEGIES USED BY ADVANCED LEARNERS: IMPLICATIONS FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18173/2354-1075.2026-0022Keywords:
Collocation learning strategies; Advanced learners; English teaching and learning, Vietnamese Exam-Dominated Context; Second Language at Vietnamese SchoolsAbstract
Collocations form a core component of second language competence, yet they remain difficult to master, especially in exam-oriented contexts. Previous research has highlighted the role of first language influence and the importance of deliberate strategy use. However, little is known about how advanced learners independently manage collocation learning in professional domains. This study addresses the gap through an exploratory multiple-case study of three Vietnamese learners working in banking, content creation, and English teaching. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and learner reports and analysed thematically within the AWARE framework (Ying & O’Neill, 2009) [1]. The findings show that learners adopted multiple strategies, including structured input, thematic organisation, and lexical chunking, but the retrieval of collocations in spontaneous communication remained a persistent difficulty. The study highlights the influence of professional demands on strategy choice, and the need for instruction that integrates multiple strategies. The study calls for promoting retrieval-based practice, and supporting contextualised use of digital resources. These insights may extend research on collocation learning by demonstrating how individual and contextual factors shape the strategy use of advanced learners in exam-dominated EFL environments.
Downloads
References
[1] Ying Y & O’Neill M, (2009). Collocation Learning through an ‘AWARE’ Approach: Learner Perspectives and Learning Process. In A. Barfield & H. Gyllstad (Eds.), Researching Collocations in Another Language: Multiple Interpretations (pp. 181–193). Palgrave Macmillan UK. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230245327_14
[2] Nation, I. S. P, (2001). Learning Vocabulary in Another Language (1st ed.). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139524759
[3] Laufer, B, (2011). The Contribution of Dictionary Use to the Production and Retention of Collocations in a Second Language. International Journal of Lexicography, 24(1), 29–49. https://doi.org/10.1093/ijl/ecq039
[4] Ellis R, (2012). Language teaching research and language pedagogy. John Wiley & Sons Inc.
[5] Webb, S. A., & Nation, I. S. P, (2017). How vocabulary is learned. OUP
[6] Barfield, A., & Gyllstad, H, (2009). Introduction: Researching L2 Collocation Knowledge and Development. In A. Barfield & H. Gyllstad (Eds.), Researching Collocations in Another Language (pp. 1–18). Palgrave Macmillan UK. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230245327_1
[7] Nation, P., & Coxhead, A, (2021). 10. Vocabulary Learning and Teaching. In 10. Vocabulary Learning and Teaching (pp. 164–170). Multilingual Matters. https://doi.org/10.21832/9781788923750-012
[8] Siyanova, A., & Schmitt, N, (2008). L2 Learner Production and Processing of Collocation: A Multi-study Perspective. The Canadian Modern Language Review, 64(3), 429–458. https://doi.org/10.3138/cmlr.64.3.429
[9] Siyanova‐Chanturia, A., & Spina, S, (2015). Investigation of Native Speaker and Second Language Learner Intuition of Collocation Frequency. Language Learning, 65(3), 533–562. https://doi.org/10.1111/lang.12125
[10] Webb, S., Newton, J., & Chang, A, (2013). Incidental Learning of Collocation. Language Learning, 63(1), 91–120. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9922.2012.00729.x
[11] Laufer, B., & Waldman, T, (2011). Verb‐Noun Collocations in Second Language Writing: A Corpus Analysis of Learners’ English. Language Learning, 61(2), 647–672. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9922.2010.00621.x
[12] Nguyen, T. M. H., & Webb, S, (2017). Examining second language receptive knowledge of collocation and factors that affect learning. Language Teaching Research, 21(3), 298–320. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168816639619
[13] Peters, E, (2009). Learning Collocations through Attention-Drawing Techniques: A Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis. In A. Barfield & H. Gyllstad (Eds.), Researching Collocations in Another Language (pp. 194–207). Palgrave Macmillan UK. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230245327_15
[14] Bui, T., Boers, F., & Coxhead, A, (2020). Extracting multiword expressions from texts with the aid of online resources: A classroom experiment. ITL - International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 171(2), 221–252. https://doi.org/10.1075/itl.18033.bui
[15] Cao, D., & Badger, R, (2023). Cross-linguistic influence on the use of L2 collocations: The case of Vietnamese learners. Applied Linguistics Review, 14(3), 421–446. https://doi.org/10.1515/applirev-2020-0035
[16] Li, A. M., & Boers, F, (2025). A Multiple‐Choice Exercise on Collocations: What Do Learners Actually Remember? International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 35(2), 824–833. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijal.12666
[17] Gu, Y, (2019). Vocabulary Learning Strategies. In C. A. Chapelle (Ed.), The Encyclopedia of Applied Linguistics (1st ed., pp. 1–7). Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781405198431.wbeal1329.pub2
[18] Webb, S, (Ed.), (2019). The Routledge Handbook of Vocabulary Studies. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429291586
[19] Siyanova-Chanturia, A, (2017). Researching the teaching and learning of multi- word expressions. Language Teaching Research, 21(3), 289–297. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168817706842
[20] Schmidt, R. W, (1990). The Role of Consciousness in Second Language Learning1. Applied Linguistics, 11(2), 129–158. https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/11.2.129
[21] Yin, R. K, (2009). Case Study Research: Design and Methods. SAGE.
[22] Schmitt, N, (2010). Researching Vocabulary. Palgrave Macmillan UK. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230293977
[23] Nation, P, (2013). My ideal vocabulary teaching course. In Case studies in language curriculum design (pp. 49-62). Routledge.
[24] Webb, S., & Kagimoto, E, (2009). The effects of vocabulary learning on collocation and meaning. TESOL Quarterly, 43(1), 55–77. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1545-7249.2009.tb00227.x
