The best way to teach phrasal verbs: Translation, sentential contextualization or metaphorical conceptualization?

Abstract

This study investigates the metaphor's central position in the memorization, retention and prediction of the meaning of phrasal verbs. To this end, 45 Iranian EFL learners from Chabahar Maritime University were divided into three groups. In control group, the phrasal verbs were presented with their Farsi (students' mother tongue) equivalents and students were asked to memorize them on their own as it is the traditional method of teaching phrasal verbs. Experimental group I received the phrasal verbs in the context of a sentence, and students were asked to make new sentences with them in the class. And the experimental group II received the orientational metaphors underlying the meaning of the particles of phrasal verbs. All the three groups took three tests in which the correct particles of the phrasal verbs had to be provided. The first test, carried out just two hours after the instructions, dealt with the taught phrasal verbs. The same test was conducted five weeks later to measure the long term retention of phrasal verbs' meaning. But the third test dealt with 20 untaught phrasal verbs which had the same particles as the taught ones. One-way ANOVA results revealed that the difference between the groups' performances on the immediate test was not statistically significant, while the efficiency of metaphorical conceptualization, and sentential contextualization on the delayed test, and untaught test was considerable. There was a slight difference between the two experimental groups, but it was not statistically significant. The study ends with some suggestions for the teaching of phrasal verbs and the possible factors contributing to their difficulty. © 2011 ACADEMY PUBLISHER Manufactured in Finland.