“I’m so interested under learning English vocabulary!”
Oops! Let’s try that again.
“I’m so interested about learning English vocabulary!”
One more time!
“I’m so interested in learning English vocabulary!”
Much better!
The Struggle
Collocations fall into the category of English vocabulary that students either love or hate. It is estimated that more than 30% of English is comprised of these collocations. But, what the heck are they and how can I use them!?
Collocations
Words that go together naturally in English. Typically comprised of 2 or more words which sound “naturally” together.
Check out these examples:
Why Bother?
Collocations are a great way to make your language sound more natural and fluent. Native speakers use them to add variety in their speech, and to enrichen their expressions. It is also commonly believed that we learn language better when they are in “chunks,” rather than single words.
Learning Collocations Tips
My American Life
Let’s look at a typical conversation between a couple of American college students. Try and find the collocations!
J: Hey Max! What’s up? I haven’t seen you all day.
M: Oh, hi Jessica. Not much is up with me. I was just hanging out in the library studying. I have a test to make up.
J: Which class are you studying for? Maybe I can help.
M: That would be awesome! Thanks. It’s an Art History 101 test.
J: Well, you know I major in Art, so this won’t take long to prepare you for it.
M: I’m glad to hear that. Let’s get down to business shall we?
J: That works for me!
Practice
Now try writing your own dialogue using collocations. I’m sure you will find that they just fall out of your pen!