COLLOCATIONS AND THEIR IMPORTANCE IN LANGUAGE STUDY
Keywords:
Keywords: collocations; lexical competence; language acquisition; corpus linguistics; communicative competence; vocabulary teaching; applied linguistics.Abstract
Abstract
Collocations — habitual and predictable word combinations — represent one of
the most crucial yet often underappreciated aspects of linguistic competence. Mastery
of a language extends beyond grammatical accuracy and vocabulary size; it involves
the intuitive understanding of how words naturally co-occur within authentic contexts.
This paper examines the theoretical underpinnings of collocations, their linguistic
classifications, and their indispensable role in language acquisition, fluency, and
pedagogical application. Drawing upon insights from corpus linguistics, cognitive
linguistics, and applied language studies, the paper argues that collocational awareness
bridges the gap between formal linguistic knowledge and communicative competence.
It discusses how collocations contribute to the naturalness, idiomaticity, and efficiency
of communication, and how their neglect in language pedagogy leads to fossilized
errors and non-native-like production. Emphasis is placed on integrating collocation
learning into vocabulary instruction and communicative teaching frameworks. The
paper concludes that collocational competence should be prioritized as a central
component of language study and curriculum design to produce learners who not only
know a language but can also live it fluently.
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