Магистрант Мирзакулова Л.О., к.п.н. Тургинбаева Л.В.,

Региональный социально-инновационный университет, Казахстан

Южно-Казахстанский государственный педагогический институт, Казахстан

TRAINING TO MAKE USE OF PHRASALS IN THE PROCESS OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING

Nine out of ten ESL students will tell you the hardest English vocabulary to learn are phrasal verbs, those sneaky little verbs that mean one thing when paired with one preposition and a completely different thing when paired with another.

And since it’s so hard for students to learn them effectively on their own, it’s up to the teacher to help them.

Phrasal verbs are combinations of verbs with an adverbial or prepositional particle (or particles). They can initially seem deceptively easy, as students might be familiar with both the verb and the particle, but may find that they don’t understand the meaning of the combination, as it can be very different to the meaning of the two words when they are used independently of each other. Phrasal verbs are very common – they appear in all areas of English, from business English and academic English right the way through to informal, spoken English. Using phrasal verbs correctly makes your English sound natural and fluent and they occur so frequently in English that students need to master them if they are ever going to progress.

What makes phrasal verbs so tricky?

· Grammar – is the phrasal verb separable? Does it take an object?

· Collocations – which words do you use with it?

· Register – are phrasal verbs always informal? Is a single-word verb more appropriate?

· Meanings – a single phrasal verb can have multiple meanings. How do you learn them all?

· Particles are there any rules about what they mean? [1]

What’s important for the learner when trying to remember phrasal verbs?

· Learn as single units of meaning

· Use in full sentences

· Group by topic

· Remember with images/stories

· Identify in context

· Understand common particles

· Learn common nouns [1].

Some scientists (R. Gairns, S. Redman) have tried to dispel something of this mystique, and to show that phrasal verbs:

1.	aren’t unique to English;
2.	aren’t quite as unpredictable and illogical as we might think;
3.	aren’t necessarily informal or colloquial;
4.	are frequently used in writing as well as in speech;
5.	are a regular part of the English lexicon – part of a much bigger set of verbs, nouns and adjectives whose meanings have developed in similar ways [2].

In this article we want to review some approaches to teaching and learning phrasal verbs.

These approaches are reflected in the strategies learners use for learning phrasal verbs, associating them with each other and storing them in their heads and/or in their vocabulary notebooks.

1. Focus on the verb

R. Gairns, S. Redman are critical of the principle of grouping phrasal verbs formed from the same verb, since the items are likely to be unrelated in meaning, and not memorable for learners. This is clearly a danger to be aware of. They use these examples to illustrate their point: to put something on – to put somebody up – to put somebody / something off [2].

But in fact there is a basic relationship of meaning shared by these and by many other phrasal verbs formed from put, including, for example:

I don’t know who’s been putting these rumours about. – Television can be a useful way of putting across health messages.

2. Focus on the particle

R. Gairns, S. Redman have the same reservations about using the particle as an organizing principle, giving these examples: to take something up – to look something up – to bring something up.

These do indeed represent different meanings of up. But they also note that if the particle “does perform a more consistent function with regard to its effect on the meaning of the root verb e.g. ‘up’ adding a sense of completion then the approach is clearly more valid” [2, p.4] .This perfective use of up could be exemplified, among many others, by: drink up – eat up – grow up – mess up – tidy up.

Focusing on individual uses of particles, and then perhaps at a later stage mixing different uses for comparison and contrast, can encourage learners to look for and identify systematic features of meaning in the way particles are used.

3. Contextual linking

The third approach R. Gairn, S. Redman consider is grouping by a contextual link, for example: to ring somebody up – to get through – to hang up.

Such a link “often allows the teacher better opportunities for further practice and possibly makes the verbs more memorable for the students” but can lead to “the inclusion of verbs which are either of little practical use or are inappropriate to the level” [2, p.4].

4. Same phrasal verb, different meanings

The fourth approach is to gather together different meanings of one verb, such as: to take off clothes – to take off a person – to take off $5.

R. Gairns, S. Redman consider that this approach “is perhaps best suited for revision purposes with more advanced students” [2, p. 5]. At lower levels, the different meanings are unlikely to be equally useful.

By implementing these suggestions, English teachers can help learners to understand and use particular phrasal verbs, and also to appreciate the hidden systematicity behind the apparent chaos of forms and meanings, and thereby become more independent in dealing with unfamiliar phrasal verbs.

Литература:

1. Tips for Teachers: Phrasal verbs – our top tips and favourite classroom activities http://news.collinselt.com/tips-for-teachers-phrasal-verbs-our-top-tips-and-favourite-classroom-activities/

2. Gairns R., Redman S. Working with Words: a Guide to Teaching and Learning Vocabulary, Cambridge University Press, 1986