Journal of Applied Languages and Linguistics

Article

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TITLE: The Conceptualization of English Phrasal Verbs by Foreign Learners of English:

An Experimental Study

Author: Dr Efthymia Tsaroucha

Adjunct Lecturer of Linguistics,

University of Thessaly, 38221, Volos, Greece

Post doctoral researcher 

Email: efiaeris@yahoo.gr

Published online: 24 July 2019, pp. 5-22

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Citation:

Tsaroucha, E. (2019) The Conceptualization of English Phrasal Verbs by Foreign Learners of English: An Experimental Study, Journal of Applied languages and Linguistics, 3(1), ALS House Publications. Athens, Greece, pp. 5-22.

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Abstract

The present study[1] was conducted in two Universities and tested 25 instances of highly frequently used English phrasal verbs of the form: component verb (put, take, come, get, run) plus component particle (up, down, in/into, out, over). 180 subjects participated in the experiment. All of them were 3rd and 4th year University students of English. 90 of them were native speakers of Greek and the rest of them were native speakers of German. Participants were given blind-closed type questionnaires of two versions. In version 1 (verb version), participants were asked to fill in the gaps with one of the component verbs put, take, come, get, run while one of the component particles was stable. In version 2 (particle version), participants were asked to fill in the gaps with one of the component particles up, down, in/into, out, over while one of the component verbs was stable. The results showed that foreign learners of English conceptualized English phrasal verbs as relations. However, both population groups responded better when they were asked to fill in the component particles. Therefore, within the constructs of the English phrasal verbs tested in the experiment, the component particles contributed (to a greater extent than the component verbs did) to the interpretation of the figurative meanings of the English phrasal verbs.

© Applied Language Studies House Publications 2019. All rights reserved.

 

Keywords: English phrasal verbs, foreign learners of English, composite wholes, constructs, conceptualization, interpretation, figurative meanings, experiment

 

[1] The present study presents a part of Tsaroucha’s (2018) research on English phrasal verbs. The study will present the results for 10 instances of English phrasal verbs. For a detailed analysis see Tsaroucha (2018).

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