Effects of an online verb-noun collocation assistant on the use of verb-noun collocations in the Turkish EFL learners' paragraph writing

The objective of this study was to investigate whether using an online collocation tool could enhance the use of verb-noun collocations in the paragraphs of Turkish EFL learners, as compared to paper-based exercises. Both the collocation tool and paper-based exercises were developed based on the principles of the lexical approach, explicit teaching, and cognitive load theory. The study employed a quasi-experimental design and involved 24 A2 level students, with 12 students in each group – the web group and the paper group. Data collection involved a pretest/posttest, paragraph writing, a quality review checklist, and a background information form. Verb-noun collocations in students' paragraphs were identified and evaluated for errors. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the web group and paper group, and the sign test was used to determine intragroup differences. Data from the background information form and the quality review checklist were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results indicated that there was no significant difference between the web group and paper group regarding their receptive and productive knowledge of verb-noun collocations or errors in target verb-noun collocations. However, there was a significant difference in some errors of non-target verb-noun collocations between the groups. Additionally, students in the web group expressed overall satisfaction with the web tool. In conclusion, the study demonstrated that learning material based on the principles of the lexical approach, explicit teaching, and cognitive load theory can enhance both receptive and productive knowledge of verb-noun collocations, regardless of the tool used, among Turkish EFL learners. Keywords: collocations, verb-noun collocations, collocation assistant, lexical approach, explicit teaching, and cognitive load theory