ABSTRACT

The emergence of second language (L2) collocation studies has grabbed the attention of a number of scholars. However, few empirical studies from an interlanguage perspective have addressed the issue of how learners acquire L2 collocations. The current study investigated what grammatical and lexical collocations posed difficulty to Thai EFL learners and whether learners of different proficiency levels exhibited the same order of acquisition. The study also attempted to explore whether task differences significantly affected the learners' acquisition process. The participants were organized into a high proficiency group (N = 45) and a low proficiency group (N = 45). Receptive and productive tasks were devised to gauge the learners' collocation knowledge. In the receptive task, the learners were encouraged to identify errors. In the productive task, they were asked to write a correct collocate required for a certain context. The results illustrated that almost all target collocations were difficult for both advanced and basic groups. Only verb-preposition collocations did not pose any considerable difficulty to the advanced participants. In terms of acquisition order, there were palpable differences between the two groups. It was also discovered that the different tasks administered exerted a profound effect on the learners' order of collocation acquisition. The key findings are discussed in light of first language (L1) transfer, transfer of prior knowledge of a particular congruent collocation, familiarity with receptive tasks, and effects of both receptive and productive tasks. The findings suggest that teachers can teach students a group of words rather than individual words by utilizing meaningful materials oriented toward specific difficult collocations or receptive-productive integration tasks. Teachers can also encourage their students to practice using frequency-based collocations and dictionaries in English classes.

It is evident that there are many factors that influence degrees of willingness to present among second language (L2) learners. Within the current context, less proficient students have shown clear signs of reluctance to deliver presentations in English language classrooms. Based on the researchers’ assumption and previous existing literature, there are two variables (i.e., topics for presentation and preparation time for presentation) central to the phenomenon situated. This article describes a pilot study which investigated to what extent a speaking task designed on the basis of two key factors (i.e., speaking topics relevant to students’ background knowledge and extended preparation time) produces a positive impact on Thai students’ degrees of willingness to present in English. Under study, 15 undergraduates in a Thai university were encouraged to deliver a presentation about a secret tourist attraction in their city. Flipped learning was also adapted and utilized as an approach that offered students more preparation time to deliver their presentations. Findings gained from students’ written reflections and a willingness to present scale demonstrated that students’ degrees of willingness to present were positively influenced by the task design. Pedagogical implications are also provided in this study.

This study aimed at developing the Silpakorn Test of English Proficiency (STEP), in alignment with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), and in accordance with the theoretical framework established by Alderson et al. (2006). Four major steps were involved in the test construction. First, English language lecturers who served as content specialists were asked to design can-do statements presented in the CEFR. Then the specialists designed the test specification based on the can-do statements. Four skill areas: listening, semi-speaking, reading, and semi-writing were targeted as the test construct. At this juncture, the content specialists were required to write test items in accordance with the test specification. Next, the test items constructed were determined for their validity and reliability. Finally, a standard setting was carried out. The results demonstrated that the framework offered by Alderson et al. (2006) served as an effective reference document for developing the STEP. In terms of validity and reliability, the STEP was of statistical significance, that is, it could be aligned with the CEFR levels and measure test takers’ English proficiency at a specific CEFR level. The current findings provide useful insights for test developers or researchers who wish to design proficiency tests in alignment with the CEFR.