The acquisition of a series of phrasal verbs in the course integrated English I at the University of Costa Rica

La adquisición de una serie de verbos frasales en el curso Inglés integrado I en la Universidad de Costa Rica

At novice or intermediate levels, it is not easy for EFL learners to completely assimilate and acquire certain intricacies of grammar. Sometimes, L2 students cannot distinguish a clear cut correlation between in-class presentation and practice with out-of-class use and production in real-life contexts. In fact, in relation to some of the main differences between L1 and L2 acquisition, White (1995) explains that the “degree of success in acquiring pronunciation and morphology, learners’ mother tongue, age, fossilization of errors, and the type of input received” may highlight the challenges of the teaching-learning process and the assimilation of phonology and universal grammar (p.41). Similarly, “L1 acquisition always takes place with naturalistic input, in contrast to L2 acquisition, where the input can vary considerably depending on the learning environment and teaching method” (White, 1995, p.44). As a result, language instructors should always provide learners with meaningful input to help them successfully assimilate troublesome grammar content such as the form, meaning, and use of phrasal verbs.

The teaching and learning of phrasal verbs is quite challenging among novice and low-intermediate EFL populations. For this reason, the main objective of this study is to specifically observe a group of EFL learners’ acquisition of a series of forty phrasal verbs as a result of explicit instruction. The selection of phrasal verbs attempts to complement those presented in the course textbook and the grammar booklet. This study also presents a sample lesson to teach such content in a first-year English course. This lesson was implemented with a group of students who enrolled the course LM-1001 Integrated English I at the University of Costa Rica. Given the fact that this course lacks a placement instrument that determines the learners’ proficiency level before registering this course, the author administered a grammar test to identify their level in this area during the first class session.

As mentioned before, the different instruments were implemented at various stages during the second part of the semester when the target content was presented. The instruments consisted of four non-evaluative charts to determine the learners’ knowledge and accuracy on two lists of phrasal verbs (each series contains 20 verbs). An instrument was given before presenting its phrasal verbs formally during the subsequent sessions. Once students systematically acquired this content, the last two charts were administered afterwards to observe acquisition. Also, additional contextualized sample lessons were implemented to present and reinforce this area apart from the exercises included in the course textbooks.

Another instrument consisted of an evaluative quiz to formally measure how much students know about a selected list of 20 separable and non-separable phrasal verbs. These verbs were taken from the previous instruments due to their level of difficulty for most learners. Finally, as an additional component, the author includes the results of the exercises presented in the final grammar test as a way to see students’ level of accuracy. To sum up, the following chart lists the forty target phrasal verbs that students were supposed to acquire through the second part of the course:

Table 4 compiles the students’ previous knowledge on a series of 20 non-separable phrasal verbs. For each correct use of a given verb in a sentence or definition, the author used check marks (() and an “X” is used for mistakes.

In this case, students were given an instrument (see Appendix A) in which they had to either write a contextualized sentence to show that they know the exact meaning of the target phrasal verb or they were asked to write a precise definition. At this moment, only separable verbs were assessed. Regarding the sentences, although additional grammar mistakes were also corrected, the instructor was interested in the students’ appropriate recognition of meaning when defining the verbs as well as their appropriate form and use at the moment of writing meaningful sentences. In the chart, each number on top of the lists corresponds with each student. It is imperative to clarify that only 18 LM-1001 completed all the five instruments ; for this reason, there is a notorious difference in number, being this a group with 25 students originally.

The level of accuracy was determined with a passing grade of 7.0 or above and a failing grade of 6.5 or below. A color code is used to easily differentiate both passing and failing numbers. To some extent, writing a short definition was somewhat easier than producing original sentences. The first results in Table 4 indicate that the overall accuracy level is 6.80 based on the general list of 20 verbs. Some students seem to over generalize the meaning of verbs such as work out and came up with a wrong definition or sentence; this verb had the lowest level of precision (2.22%). Thus, the right column includes the percentage of accuracy for each verb that all the students reached. From the perspective of each LM-1001 student, the table shows that only 8 students out of 18 obtained a passing grade in this instrument; the lowest grade is 4.0.

After a few class sessions, students worked with class material and sample lessons on phrasal verbs, their meaning, form, and use. Later, they were given a second instrument (see Appendix B) that assessed the same phrasal verbs in a way that learners would not notice that those verbs were informally evaluated beforehand. It is important to say that students get familiar with several verbs besides the ones spotted in these instruments. So, the instructor did not focus exclusively on the target ones during the class sessions. The results are summarized in the next chart. From the perspective of verbs, Table 5 indicates that 18 verbs were used correctly by most students on the scale of the passing grade.

After the target population has received formal instruction on separable phrasal verbs, the accuracy level of acquisition seemed to increase in subsequent lessons. The target separable phrasal verbs in this second instrument show an accuracy level of 9.0. The troublesome verbs in this case were break up and hang in. Furthermore, from the perspective of each student, the accuracy level increased substantially and reached a grade of 9.4, but only one student failed at obtaining a passing grade and got a 4.0 in this instrument. Overall, the level is 8.58 after students received formal instruction.

The next two charts summarize the data obtained regarding the learners’ acquisition rate of non-separable verbs including a couple of prepositional verbs as well. Once again, students received a chart (see Appendix C) to write either meaningful sentences based on a definition or, on the other hand, come up with an exact definition based on the content of a sentence. Interestingly, while carrying out this task, a few learners indicated that this was a more challenging task since most verbs were new or confusing. Also, there were lots of grammar mistakes and syntactic errors in learners’ original sentences. Table 6 shows that the overall accuracy level is only 6.06 in terms of the list of verbs. Additionally, 10 out of 18 students did not obtain a passing grade. Students were not able to figure out the meaning of look forward to in this instrument, and the troublesome verbs in this instrument were get away with, look up to, fall apart, live on, run into, show off, and take off. Thus, prepositional phrasal verbs give an additional level of difficulty to most students. On the other hand, from the point of view of these 18 students, the average of accuracy level is 6.0.

After a few class sessions, students were received the fourth instrument (see Appendix D) to assess the acquisition level of non-separable phrasal verbs. There was an evident improvement in this area as the complete list of verbs shows an increase from 6.0 to 7.69 (see Table 7). Interestingly, for some learners it was tough to use certain phrasal verbs in complete sentences (e.g., give in, show off, take off, and get rid off), but they successfully use or define hang out, run away, stop by, and watch over. As a group, the accuracy level is 7.72, and only 5 learners failed this instrument and got a failing grade.

Once the target group carried out all the sample lessons and exercises regarding this topic, the author administered a quiz (see Appendix E) to evaluate 10 separable and 10 non-separable verbs. These verbs were chosen from the first instruments, but obviously learners were asked to study all the content seen during the second part of the semester regarding phrasal verbs, their meaning and use. The reason why these verbs were specifically chosen relies on the fact that they were the most problematic for students during this part of the course at the moment of carrying out the assessment instruments. The chart below includes the target verbs to be formally evaluated:

In relation to the components of this quiz, students carried out four different types of exercises. First, they were asked to rewrite the content of sentences in a way that the underlined part includes the correct phrasal verb taken from a word bank. Secondly, they read a set of five questions; then, they had to circle the answer that correctly matches the meaning of the phrasal verb in each sentence. In the case of the third exercise, they had to complete a set of sentences with the phrasal verbs from a word bank. Finally, the fourth exercise included five phrasal verbs so that students create their own original and contextualized sentences to show they knew their meaning. Table 9 shows the final results obtained by the 18 students.

The results of the quiz were evident. In fact, from the perspective of the list of verbs, 18 verbs out of 20 were used correctly as they appear in Table 9. The only two verbs that show a failing grade were pull through and run into; however, a few students struggled with three phrasal verbs: give up, get away with, and watch over. On the contrary, from the point of view of the students, only one student obtained a failing grade (5.0). The accuracy percentage of the rest of the group is 87,94 regarding this short test.

In the course LM-1001 Integrated English I, there are two grammar exams. The second test included an exercise to evaluate phrasal verbs. The chart below (Table 10) shows that the five target verbs reached an accuracy level (from the perspective of the 18 students) of 81.11, and only one student did not use any of the verbs correctly. Once again, there is an evident improvement due to extensive instruction.

The following sample lesson complements the seventh lesson of the course units. One of the main objectives of this material is to present and teach some phrasal verbs in context by using samples of authentic language. The authentic materials consisted of magazine advertisements and newspaper headlines. Sample activities 1 and 2 attempt to help learners get acquainted with the meaning of phrasal verbs in their context. Sample activity 3 is based on authentic language as learners read a series of magazine covers and underline all the phrasal verbs; then, they come up with a short definition for each verb. The following activity takes place at the computer lab as students look for sample covers that contain at least one phrasal verb. Also, they must define each verb and write an original sentence using the same phrasal verb in context. At the lab, learners use the multimedia projector or smart board to present their sentences.

To establish cooperative learning, group work is also part of the teaching/learning process. To achieve this, students get in small groups and create their own magazine covers in which phrasal verbs are incorporated to complete sample activity 5. Once again, they do this at the computer lab to facilitate the designing process. Also, students may choose a topic they find interesting or appealing such as sports, nutrition, computer equipment, home improvement, video games, health, gardening, and the like. The second part of the lesson is also conducted at the computer lab. Students are given a set of authentic newspaper headlines (sample activity 6) so that they define the phrasal verbs in boldface. In relation to sample activity 7, students surf the Net and look for newspaper headlines that include at least one phrasal verb; they need to define the verb as well. Then, they are asked to read the content of the article to present its main ideas orally in front of the class. Because this is time consuming, this part of the lesson may be divided into two sessions. Finally, sample activity 8 is a follow-up speaking task in which learners work in pairs and take turns to ask a series of questions. In this case, they must use the given phrasal verbs in their answers orally.

Sample Lesson: Magazine Advertisements and Newspaper Headlines

Sample Activity 1. Pair work. Read the sentences below; underline the phrasal verb they contain. Then, match each sentence with the correct definition of each phrasal verb.

1. 1. 1. Before purchasing the best and most innovative video games, come to our store
2. 2. and gear your desktop computer up. (___)
3. 3. 2. If you want to find the freshest, healthiest, and most delicious produce, visit the Green Market and fill your cart up on organic veggies and fruits. (___)
4. 4. 3. Do you need to speed up the performance of your laptop computer? Learn about ten tips to do so. (___)
5. 5. 4. How many times have you given up on your workout routines? Visit our Nutrition Center and get a free nutrition consultation now. (___)
6. 6. 5. Don’t spend on new equipment! Power your system up with the best computer accessories and peripherals. Visit our online store. (___)
7. 7. 6. Get our newest operating system for your company network. It will certainly blow away all your expectations. (___)

• Prepare or get ready

• Load or stack with something

• Please or surprise to a high level

• Supply better components to a machine

• Make something function faster and more efficiently

• Stop hoping that something will achieve what you expect

Sample Activity 2. Individual work. Some people are scanning magazine ads because they want to find the best products for their needs. Which phrases would fit each potential customer’s situation? Fill in the blanks with the correct verb. There is an extra one.

get ahead with carry on give up carry out slim down

1. 1. 1. Worried about home security? _________ your trips while HomeSafe monitors your property.
2. 2. 2. Don’t _________ on learning foreign languages. Easy Language is the solution!
3. 3. 3. Want to __________ with your professional career. Start an online degree with us!
4. 4. 4. If you need to __________ after the holidays, get a free nutrition consultation now!

Sample Activity 3. Scanning ads. Read the following pieces of advertisements and underline the phrasal verb. Then, in pairs, write a short definition based on the context of the original advertisement. Be read to share your definitions with the rest of the class.

*Adapted from PlayStation Magazine *Adapted from Custom PC Magazine*Adapted from

Eating Well

*Adapted from PC Advisor*Adapted from XBOX Official Magazine

*Adapted from Triathlon Magazine*Adapted from Men’s Health

*Adapted from PC Power Play *Adapted from ESPN Magazine

*Adapted from Chicago Home+Garden *Adapted from Men’s Health *Unknown

source

(*) Images of advertisements adapted and used for educational purposes only

Sample Activity 4. Computer lab session

Surf the Net and look for three magazine covers that contain phrasal verbs. Look for magazines with appealing topics for you (sports, computer equipment, video games, health, and the like). For each phrasal verb, write a short definition according to the context of the topic; then, write an original, contextualized sentence in which you demonstrate that you fully understand the meaning of each verb. Keep in mind that some verbs may be separable or non-separable. Get ready to present this with the multimedia projector.

Sample Activity 5. Group work. Create your own magazine cover or piece of advertisement in which you incorporate phrasal verbs. You may use the verbs studied in class. Be ready to present your design to the rest of the class.

Sample Activity 6. Defining phrasal verbs. Read the following newspaper headlines. Then, using your dictionary, look for the closet meaning of the phrasal verb in each headline. Write the definition next to the headline. Work in pairs.

“Ryan Says He Would Run for Speaker if G.O.P. Unites” (Taken from The New York Times)

“Kevin Merida of Washington Post Will Take Over ESPN Project” (Taken from The New York Times)

“Nazis killed Simon Goodman's grandparents and stole their art; new book tells how he got some of it back” (Taken from Los Angeles Times)

“Costa Rica's Public Security Minister calls for new organized crime unit after spike in killings” (Taken from The Tico Times)

“Brazil pulls out of electoral mission to Venezuela” (Taken from The Washington Post)

“New Joint Chiefs chairman looks over war zone in Iraq” (Taken from The Washington Post)

“5 Foods You’re Spoiling By Putting In the Refrigerator” (Taken from The Reader’s Digest)

Sample Activity 7. Computer lab session

Part A. Surf the Net and look for two newspaper articles that contain phrasal verbs. Look for articles with appealing topics for you. For each phrasal verb, write a short definition according to the context of the topic.

Part B. Get ready to explain the content of one of the newspaper articles to the rest of the class. Fully explain its headline and the meaning of its phrasal verb.

Sample Activity 8. Speaking task. In pairs, discuss the content of the following questions.

STUDENT A

Ask your classmate each question. Try to ask follow-up questions if possible.

1. 1. What valuable object have you broken up recently? What happened?
2. 2. What kind of problems does pollution on campus bring about to students?
3. 3. Will you carry on studying this major? What courses would you register next year?
4. 4. What activities do you want to carry out during vacation?
5. 5. How much does it cost to fill up the tank of a car in Costa Rica?
6. 6. What have you done to give something back to society?
7. 7. What have you given up recently (e.g., a course or a book)? Why?
8. 8. What was the last time you hung in an assignment after the due date?
9. 9. Who do you always keep out your bedroom? Why?
10. 10. Who was the last person or pet that you looked after ?

STUDENT B

Ask your classmate each question. Try to ask follow-up questions if possible.

1. 1. What have you put away recently?
2. 2. What meaningful possession would you like to pass down in your family in the future? Who will you given them to?
3. 3. What do you normally say or think when your girlfriend/boyfriend puts off an important activity?
4. 4. Have you ever put out a fire at home or somewhere else? What happened?
5. 5. How often do you take out the garbage bags at home?
6. 6. Have you ever tossed out anything recently?
7. 7. Have you ever talked your siblings into doing the housework for you? Did they obey?
8. 8. When you have a problem with another person, how do you talk it over ?
9. 9. Would you like to try out a particular cell phone model or computer? Which one? Why?
10. 10. Have you ever had a serious conflict with another person that did not work out well? What happened?

Recommendations for EFL instructors and Conclusion

It is useful for novice instructors of LM-1001 Integrated English I to consider the following suggestions when teaching phrasal verbs:

• Phrasal verbs should be taught in context with the implementation of authentic materials (e.g., recipes, manuals, newspapers, magazine covers, and the like).These verbs should be contextualized in appealing and interesting topics for young learners (e.g., technology, computing, video games, health, and so on).

• An integration of several language skills is a must, especially at the moment of putting phrasal verbs into practice in the oral mode so that the avoidance strategy is minimized. It is a must to reinforce the course materials so that learners go beyond the written exercises found in their books.

• Since this type of population is highly heterogeneous, it is important to implement and administer a placement test to determine students’ level of proficiency, especially in the course LM-1001 Integrated English I.

• Novice EFL learners should consult a dictionary to become aware of the different meanings of phrasal verbs; in fact, “good dictionary skills for finding and working through the various meanings and uses of the phrasal verbs they [learners] encounter are also important” (Lessard-Clouston, 1993, p.8-9).

• To establish learner autonomy regarding the study of phrasal verbs, students may use flashcards as a learning strategy. These “cards are a reliable source for self-study and the students know precisely why each card is in the box and are able to evaluate which word to focus on” (Coxhead, 2006, p.42). By doing so, learners may easily consult the meaning, form, and use of phrasal verbs.

Even though learning phrasal verbs is challenging and difficult for EFL novice and low-intermediate students, the results mentioned in this small-scale study demonstrated the positive effect of constant, explicit and formal instruction on these students’ acquisition of the target phrasal verbs. This occurred although absenteeism was an important drawback in this kind of English course. Again, it is important for instructors to select, design, and prepare appropriate materials and activities (controlled, semi-controlled, and guided exercises) to help learners assimilate this content and become autonomous students in the teaching-learning process. By using authentic and appealing materials to present phrasal verbs in context, learners will certainly benefit from a motivating and meaningful content and engage more actively in class.