The Dilemma of Learning Phrasal Verbs among EFL Learners - Article

Oct 15, 2026

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This study examines difficulties faced by individual college students of English when interpreting English phrasal verbs (PVs) during their academic careers. Learners were split into regular English language and literature students and non-major English students studying communication skills at Al Hussein Bin Talal University. The research assesses background level and performance to identify sources of weakness in interpreting PVs in oral and written formats. Results from a designed test provide an explanation for the learning problem and inform course design, instruction, and classroom teaching strategies.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages7

Reading Time18 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Translation vs. interpreting

Characteristics of phrasal verbs (PVs)

Challenges in interpretation and meaning

Advances in Language and Literary Studies ISSN: 2203-4714 [www.alls.aiac.org.au](www.alls.aiac.org.au) | The Dilemma of Learning Phrasal Verbs among EFL Learners
Salman A. Al Nasarat
Language Center, Al Hussein Bin Tala University, Jordan
Corresponding Author: Salman A. Al Nasarat, E-mail: [salman.nasarat@yahoo.com](salman.nasarat@yahoo.com) | | | --- | --- | | ARTICLE INFO | ABSTRACT
This study was designed to examine difficulties in interpreting English phrasal verbs (PVs) that individual college student of English face during their academic career. Interpretation is an apparent obstacle that Jordanian English students encounter as they learn language systematically. The learners being investigated were divided into two groups including regular students of English language and literature and non-majoring English students who study communication skills in English at Al Hussein Bin Talal University. Basically, the present study attempted to investigate students’ background level and performance to identify the source of weakness in interpreting PVs either orally or based on written texts. The findings would shed light on translating inability and more significantly on interpreting strategies while students workout the meaning of spoken or written PVs combinations. The overall score obtained by students in the designed test resulted in a plausible explanation for this learning problem and should help for a better course design and instruction as well as effective classroom teaching and curricula. | | Article history
Received: December 25, 2017
Accepted: March 07, 2018
Published: April 30, 2018
Volume: 9 Issue: 2
Advance access: March 2018 | | | Conflicts of interest: None
Funding: None | | | Key words:
Translation,
Phrasal Verbs,
Interpreting, EFL,
Jordanian Students | | INTRODUCTION Translation is described as the process of translating words or texts from one language into another. Translation is seen as a transformation of ideas, meaning, messages, or feelings from the source language (SL) into the target language (TL) . Halliday (1976) considers translation to be: “the total process and relationship of equivalence between two languages”. We shall differentiate, nevertheless, between “translating”(written language) and “interpreting”(spoken word) . Translation, therefore, is the action of interpretation of the meaning of a text. Newmark (1988) mentioned that in order to be able to translate a certain text, one has to understand it and analyze it first. Translation theories should have criteria to be followed by the translator. The translator should translate the text according to the writer’s intention not according to his/ her view about subject, and he/she must take into consideration several things such as age, sex, and class of writer. Linguistically, interpreting and translation quite related tasks. Seldom are they conducted by the same person. The difference in skills, training, experience and even language capacity are so fundamental that not many specialists can do both successfully. Apparently, the difference between interpreting and translation is that the interpreter performs actual meaning orally, whereas a translator deals with written word. Both interpreting and translation combine a mutual intelligibility of two or more languages. One important issue regarding interpreting is dealing with English two-part verbs. Aphrasal verb is a combination of a verb and a preposition, a verb and an adverb, or both. These combinations are not only part of the basic structure of utterances, but also are having a complete meaningful unit. Phrasal verbs are sometimes also referred to as ‘compound verb’,‘verb-adverb combination’, or ‘verb-particle construction (VPC.)’ Once we will refer to this compound verb in the abbreviated form PVs. PVs present a wide range of variability both in terms of syntax and semantics. Thus, they are challenging for students learning Engl

FAQs

What problem does the study focus on?

The study focuses on difficulties EFL learners face when interpreting English phrasal verbs (PVs), especially distinguishing and understanding their meaning in oral and written contexts.

How were the participants grouped?

Participants were divided into two groups: regular English language and literature students and non-major English students studying communication skills at Al Hussein Bin Talal University.

What factors does the study examine to explain students’ weakness?

The study evaluates students’ background level and performance to identify the sources of weakness in interpreting PVs in both spoken and written forms.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Cipher