Learning and Teaching L2 Collocations: Insights from Research

The aim of this article is to present and summarize the main research findings in the area of learning and teaching second language (L2) collocations. Being a large part of naturally occurring language, collocations and other types of multiword units (e.g., idioms, phrasal verbs, lexical bundles) have been identified as important aspects of L2 proficiency that need to be promoted through language instruction. However, while in recent years the field of applied linguistics has witnessed an impressive rise in the number of studies exploring the process of learning and using L2 collocations, there is still little consensus as to the most effective ways of enhancing this kind of knowledge. The aim of this article is to review the literature in this area, highlight the main findings pertaining to teaching English as a second (ESL) and foreign (EFL) learners, and point to future research directions.