Khara Burgess LSA 3 Systems: Helping lower levels to understand and use high frequency phrasal verbs

DELTA MODULE TWO LSA 3 PART ONE SYSTEMS: Helping lower levels to n!erst"n! "n! se #ig# $re% en&' p#r"s"l ver(s )HARA *UR+ESS LORD *YRON ,OLLE+E ,ENTRE NO: -T./0

DATE O1 SU*M-SS-ON: 32 O&to(er .323 WORD ,OUNT: .4.2

Khara Burgess LSA 3 Systems: Helping lower levels to understand and use high frequency phrasal verbs

LSA 3 PART ONE SYSTEMS: PHRASAL 5ER*S -ntro! &tion An"l'sis "n! iss es The Grammatical Form a) Memorising the form b) Transitivity and Separability Meaning and Use a) Polysemy and diomatic Meaning b) Synonymy and Formality page ! page " page 6 page 3 page 4

Phonological Form S ggestions $or Te"&#ing a) Form b) Meaning and Use

,on&l sion *i(liogr"p#' Appen!i6

page ## page #3 page #4

Khara Burgess LSA 3 Systems: Helping lower levels to understand and use high frequency phrasal verbs

-ntro! &tion There are a large n$mber of %m$lti&'ord $nits( in )nglish* 'hich are fi+ed and f$nction as if they 'ere one 'ord* some of 'hich incl$de idioms* proverbs* binomials and phrasal verbs, My teaching e+perience has sho'n that )S- st$dents at all levels consider the latter type to be the most da$nting of all these* 'hich comes as no s$rprise if 'e consider their partic$lar %grammar(* m$ltiple meanings and prof$sion in all registers, Their rep$tation of being diffic$lt is not aided by the 'ay they are traditionally ta$ght* thro$gh long isolated lists* 'hich not only conf$se st$dents b$t also ma.es them averse to learning phrasal verbs, /n alternative method 'o$ld be to place them into an everyday conte+t* s$ch as %daily ro$tines(* a theme commonly ta$ght at elementary level, 0$t even if 'e consider the common phrasal verbs connected to this* s$ch as get up, put on, take off and tidy up* they all still have the inherent comple+ities only tac.led at intermediate level* s$ch as 'hether they can be separated* follo'ed by an ob1ect* or have m$ltiple meanings, 2$rrently teaching elementary levels and noticing ho' fe' phrasal verbs are incl$ded in the syllab$s* this essay stems from the motivation to e+plore 'ays in 'hich 'e can raise learner a'areness of these comple+ iss$es from day one, 'ill loo. at 'ays in 'hich some .ind of a conte+t and a foc$s on the particle can be a sol$tion and a means to teach more phrasal verbs earlier on,

Khara Burgess LSA 3 Systems: Helping lower levels to understand and use high frequency phrasal verbs

An"l'sis "n! -ss es +r"77"ti&"l 1or7 / Phrasal 3erb is either t'o or three part and consists of a verb follo'ed an adverb* a preposition or both, They are categorised by their transitivity and separability, They incl$de4

P#r"s"l 5er( T'pe #) Transitive* separable

E6"7ple #) 5e took the 1ac.et off 6) 5e took off the 1ac.et 3) 5e took it off

E6pl"n"tion These need a direct ob1ect* 'hich can be placed before or after the particle* or a prono$n* 'hich m$st come bet'een the verb and particle,

6) Transitive* inseparable

#) go into school 6) go into it at "am,

These also need a direct ob1ect or prono$n* b$t these have a fi+ed position after the particle,

3) ntransitive* inseparable

#) get up at !am

7o ob1ect is ta.en 'ith this type of phrasal verb,

4) Three&part 8transitive* inseparable)

#) get on with my boss,

/s 'ith 6,

a) Me7orising t#e $or7 "

Khara Burgess LSA 3 Systems: Helping lower levels to understand and use high frequency phrasal verbs

There are only a handf$l of lang$ages in 'hich phrasal verbs e+ist* so many st$dents str$ggle 'ith the idea that its different parts are grammatically and semantically lin.ed, This ma.es memori9ation diffic$lt* 'ith the ma1ority of st$dents failing to remember the correct particle* $sing e+pressions s$ch as %get in:up( 'hen they act$ally mean %get on with(, (8 Tr"nsitivit' "n! Sep"r"(ilit' The concept of transitivity can ca$se conf$sion* 'ith st$dents ma.ing mista.es either inserting ob1ects 'here they are not permitted or omitting them altogether* for instance* a st$dent recently said ; 'a.e $p and p$t on then eat brea.fast<* to 'hich f$rther clarification 'as needed, /dding to this diffic$lty* some phrasal verbs are both transitive and intransitive* depending on their conte+t and intended meaning* e,g, %5e gets up at !am( sho's an intransitive form* b$t if it $sed 'ith a different meaning* as in %5e helped her get up the mo$ntain(* it becomes transitive,

Fail$re to remember the separability can res$lt in cl$msy sentences* s$ch as % don(t get 'ith him on( and potentially res$lt in a brea.do'n in comm$nication, )ven 'hen phrasal verbs are separable* they are generally .ept close to the verb* 'hich can be problematic 'ith spea.ers of some lang$ages* s$ch as German* in 'hich a particle goes at the end of a long cla$se, This -# transfer can give rise to sentences li.e ; drop the children at their school off*< 'hich is grammatically correct b$t seemingly inappropriate to a native spea.er 82o'an 6=="),

Me"ning "n! Use #

Khara Burgess LSA 3 Systems: Helping lower levels to understand and use high frequency phrasal verbs

"8 Pol'se7' "n! -!io7"ti& 7e"ning The ma1ority of phrasal verbs are polysemo$s* and 'hile some meanings can be ded$ced from conte+t* others cannot* even 'hen their individ$al components are $nderstood, This 'ill be loo.ed at in terms of the meanings of %take off( 'hich lo'er levels often enco$nter4 -iteral meaning4 %She took off her 1ac.et(

5ere the meaning of %remove( can easily be g$essed from the conte+t* and this type of phrasal verb presents fe'er problems for the elementary learner, Semi&idiomatic4 %The plane took off from the airport(

5ere the significance is fig$rative beca$se the particle adds to the verb ;consistent aspect$al meaning*< 'ith %off( denoting the idea of %to move a'ay from a place or position( 82elce&Mercia > -arsen&Freeman #??64436), @hile this is a common e+pression 'ith no real s$bstit$te in everyday )nglish* lo'er level st$dents may initially str$ggle to comprehend the idea of there being an alternative meaning to the former, (8 S'non'7' "n! 1or7"lit' t is a misconception that phrasal verbs sho$ld be avoided in formal registers beca$se they $s$ally e+press a semantic meaning for 'hich there is no obvio$s single&'ord eA$ivalent, @hile many do have a single&'ord synonym of -atinate origin* s$ch as %ret$rn( for %get back* if these are ta$ght in con1$nction 'ith the phrasal verb they tend to be over$sed and often become a replacement* especially by spea.ers of romance lang$ages 'ho have cognate 'ords in their first lang$age, / form of error avoidance* the complete replacement of the phrasal verb can ma.e a spea.er so$nd

Khara Burgess LSA 3 Systems: Helping lower levels to understand and use high frequency phrasal verbs

$nnat$ral and deny them f$ll idiomaticity* 'hich can lead to complete mis$nderstanding at times* 'ith $tterances li.e % maintain my mother( to mean % look after my mother(, The common phrasal verb %slow down(* $s$ally enco$ntered at elementary level has been sho'n in a corp$s st$dy to be far more freA$ently than its eA$ivalent %decelerate(* even in very formal te+ts* as 'e can note from an e+tract in a 9oology te+tboo.4 %Btheir metabolism slows down so m$ch that the pineal is virt$ally s'itched off( 8Fletcher 6==64 para !), Similarly* the phrasal verb %put on( is more often $sed than %don(* e,g, %She put on her shoes(* 'hich sho's that many high freA$ency phrasal verbs enco$ntered at lo'er level is the most nat$ral 'ay of saying something* 'itho$t r$nning the ris. of so$nding pretentio$s, P#onologi&"l 1or7 n nat$ral )nglish conversation* speech tends to become connected and 'ithin this a n$mber of feat$res arise, Firstly* 'ord bo$ndaries 'ith a consonant and a vo'el become lin.ed and since phrasal verbs end in a particle* this is often the case* e,g, %get on so$nds li.e %geton( or %put on as %p$ton(* 'hich co$ld be interpreted by st$dents as %b$tton(, Secondly* if the 'ord bo$ndary involves t'o vo'el so$nds then native spea.ers tend to insert an e+tra* intr$ding so$nd* either :r:* :': or :1: as in %go:':away( and (go:':out(, These feat$res can ma.e phrasal verb recognition a challenge for st$dents* partic$larly those at lo'er levels 'ho have had less e+pos$re to them,

F$rthermore* the aspects of stress patterns apply to phrasal verbs at 'ord and sentence level and depend on 'hich type they are* as can be seen in the follo'ing4 % Transitive and separable4 The verb and particle are stressed 'hen $nseparated or 'hen separated by a prono$n e,g, %take off yo$r 1ac.et: take it off %, f an

&

Khara Burgess LSA 3 Systems: Helping lower levels to understand and use high frequency phrasal verbs

ob1ect is bet'een the t'o* the particle is $nstressed* e,g, %5e took the 1ac.et off( % Transitive and inseparable4 The particle is $nstressed and the verb carries the stress* e,g ,(@e went into the school at "am( % % ntransitive4 The particle carries the stress* e,g, % t is time to get up( Three&part 8transitive* inseparable)4 The first particle is stressed* e,g, % get on with my boss(, -earning the correct stress pattern at sentence level is $sef$l as changing it affects the overall meaning, The $tterance* % ran into the store( is different to % ran into the store(* 'ith the former meaning to invol$ntarily crash into the store and the latter to enter vol$ntarily,

S ggestions $or te"&#ing 1or7 /s separability involves the moving of parts of a phrasal verb* the physicality of this co$ld be e+ploited 'ith a sentence 1$mble activity $sing c$t&$p sentences that have been learnt in the lesson* 'hich are then reordered, /n alternative* 'hich 'o$ld appeal to bodily&.inaesthetic learners* co$ld be to give each st$dent a 'ord of a sentence and they reorder themselves to ma.e a grammatically correct sentence, /t lo'er levels* a means of raising a'areness of the idea of separable and inseparable phrasal verbs 'itho$t e+plicit instr$ction co$ld involve boarding sentences in 'hich the phrasal verbs have not been separated* and learners then remodel them 'ith the aim of getting them to separate the phrasal verb, This method can be $sed 'ith the same phrasal verb in several sentences b$t st$dents need to decide 'hich are correct* '

Khara Burgess LSA 3 Systems: Helping lower levels to understand and use high frequency phrasal verbs

'ith the teacher as.ing in each case if they can be split or not, The correct sentences sho$ld then be recorded in a le+ical noteboo., Me"ning "n! se Given the fact that st$dents tend to over$se or opt for the one&'ord -atinate eA$ivalents over their m$lti&'ord $nit* believe these sho$ld be avoided in teaching at elementary levels if possible* as these co$ld become fossili9ed into the st$dent(s interlang$age, /nother means to introd$ce them is advocated by Michael -e'is* 'ho s$ggests that le+ical ch$n.s %need to be organised in some 'ay( into a %conte+t* sit$ation or theme( 8-e'is 6===443), s$ch as %daily ro$tines( for elementary levels, 0y introd$cing the ne' le+ical items 'ithin a te+t and highlighting them* the st$dent can vie' them as part of larger le+ical ch$n.s* 'hich ind$ctively yields vital information abo$t their meaning and $se, The meaning can be e+plored 'ith a definition&match e+ercise 8sentential* rather than foc$sed solely on the phrasal verb)* follo'ed by gap fills $sing sentences from the original te+t, /ny foc$s on a phrasal verb sho$ld be $sed as a means to develop more collocations or phrasal verbs* e,g, 'ith %turn on(4 the teacher says %Shall turn on / off the radioC Mario* can yo$ turn the light off pleaseC( This can be follo'ed by freer practice* 'here learners are enco$raged to respond to A$estions containing the phrasal verbs, n this 'ay repetition aids memorisation and le+ical conte+t gives meaning* as the parts are not vie'ed as isolated $nits, Using a similar approach* lo'er levels sho$ld be made a'are of the fact that all phrasal verbs have a literal and fig$rative m$ltiple meaning, / short te+t in 'hich the same phrasal verb is repeated 'ith its vario$s meanings* e,g, $sing %take off( in vario$s 'ays to describe %a holiday( and the st$dents then match these 'ith their definitions, Those 'ho are vis$al learners can benefit from cartoons* 'hich can be s$pplied or created so as to ill$strate the more idiomatic meanings e,g, %take off time (

Khara Burgess LSA 3 Systems: Helping lower levels to understand and use high frequency phrasal verbs

from 'or.( can be represented by someone c$tting a cloc. in half* one half labeled %'or.( and the other %holiday(,

Some co$rseboo.s* s$ch as the Pre& ntermediate 7e' )nglish File 8D+enden > -atham&Eoenig 6==64#F?)* $se a pict$re to te+t match to foc$s on the dele+icalised verb* for e+ample %get( 'ith its vario$s collocations and phrasal verbs, have fo$nd these types of tas.s to be conf$sing and less memorable for the learner* since the ch$n.s have no clear relation to each other, Since it is more often the particle and not the verb that st$dents have problems memori9ing* believe a foc$s on the former 'o$ld be a more practical sol$tion, Gairns and Gedman 8#?"6) s$ggest that foc$sing on the particle can be done effectively if in a gro$p of phrasal verbs they represent one meaning* s$ch as %get $p(* or %go $p( 'here its $se as a directional preposition comes to the forefront, /t a later stage other meanings can be highlighted* as in %drin. $p( or %$se $p(* 'here %$p( refers to completion, Most of the common phrasal verb particles* s$ch as %$p* do'n* in* o$t* on( and %off( have literal meanings that relate to Hspatial orientationH* and this concept also has a fig$rative aspect fo$nd in many lang$ages* s$ch as %to be do'n(, Foc$sing on the 'ay the particle pertains to a position in space can be enhanced thro$gh TPG* 'hich can vis$ally and physically sho' its $sage* for e+ample* st$dents can physically respond to topic&related commands 'hich lend itself to this idea s$ch as %classroom instr$ctions(* 'ith phrasal verbs li.e %stand up: sit down: put up yo$r hand (, Ira'ing st$dent a'areness to the particle in different 'ays can enco$rage them to loo. for and identify systematic feat$res of meaning in the 'ay they are $sed in both a literal and more abstract sense* 'hich 'ill conseA$ently increase their ability to deal 'ith $nfamiliar phrasal verbs they may enco$nter in the f$t$re,

Khara Burgess LSA 3 Systems: Helping lower levels to understand and use high frequency phrasal verbs

P#onologi&"l 1or7 The phonological foc$s sho$ld be on the phrasal verb at sentence level* 'hich 'ill raise st$dent a'areness of ho' it is said in connected speech and that it al'ays carries stress, Firstly the pron$nciation can be drilled thro$gh choral repetition and a s$bstit$tion drill to incl$de vario$s collocations, Then 'ord stress can be concentrated on by doing a rhythmic drilling accompanied by clapping to the specific stress patterns, This is especially $sef$l for st$dents 'hose -# is syllable timed* s$ch as talian and Spanish* so they can 'itness the stress&timed nat$re of )nglish, /n e+tension activity co$ld involve a freer practice activity 'here st$dents 'or. in pairs to as. and ans'er A$estions containing the relevant phrasal verbs,

,on&l sion The activities that have been disc$ssed sho$ld be enhanced by enco$raging st$dents to record the phrasal verb collocations* the translation* e+ample sentences that sho' their separability* the pron$nciation and stress pattern and preferably 'ithin a partic$lar theme 8see appendi+), To s$m $p* it 'o$ld seem viable that to more efficiently prepare lo'er level st$dents to become more confident and s$ccessf$l in $sing phrasal verbs* these vario$s methods have merit if $sed 1$dicio$sly, Placing phrasal verbs into a level&appropriate conte+t can help st$dents $nderstand their form and 8m$ltiple) meaning* 'itho$t needing an e+plicit e+planation, t also aids memory and fl$ency as it implies the acA$isition of le+ical sets as opposed to isolated le+ical items and foc$s on the particle can enable st$dents to see any semantic connections as opposed to conf$sion, The fact that st$dents have limited .no'ledge of phrasal verbs

Khara Burgess LSA 3 Systems: Helping lower levels to understand and use high frequency phrasal verbs

by the time they reach intermediate level sho's that they need to be ta$ght more and earlier on* not as a marginali9ed area of the syllab$s b$t as f$lly integrated into le+is teaching,

*i(liogr"p#'

2elce&M$rcia* M,* -arsen&Freeman* I, 8#??6), The Grammar Book: An E !/E"!

Khara Burgess LSA 3 Systems: Helping lower levels to understand and use high frequency phrasal verbs

Teachers #ourse* Second )dition, 0oston4 5einle > 5einle P$blishers,

2o'an* G, 86=="), The Teachers Grammar of English: A #ourse Book and $eference Guide, 2ambridge4 2ambridge University Press,

Fletcher* 0 86==6), %Gegister and Phrasal verbs(* internet ''' page at UG-4 http4::''',macmillandictionaries,com:M)I&Maga9ine:September6==F:33&Phrasal& 3erbs&Gegister,htm 8accessed 6?:=?:6=#3)

Gairns* G, > Gedman* S, 8#?"6) %orking with %ords: a Guide to Teaching and !earning &ocabulary, 2ambridge4 2ambridge University Press,

D+enden* 2, > -atham&Eoenig* 2, 86==6) 'ew English "ile: (re)*ntermediate+ D+for University Press,

Appen!i6 Format for a le+ical noteboo. entry P5G/S/- 3)G0 8pron$nciation)

Khara Burgess LSA 3 Systems: Helping lower levels to understand and use high frequency phrasal verbs

#, Translation and 8any) collocations 6, )+ample sentence:s 'ith stress pattern and any synonym in )nglish,

@or.ing )+ample 8 talian learner) $nder the category of %going on holiday( T/E) DFF 8 )

#, togliersi di dosso e,g, ta.e off shoes: soc.s: coat %Take off yo$r 1ac.et: take it off/ take yo$r hat off( 8remove) 6, Prendersi $na vacan9a e,g, ta.e off time %@hy don(t yo$ take some days offC( 8a holiday from 'or.) 3, decollare 8no ob1ect) %5is airplane took off at "am the ne+t day( 8depart)

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