The Relations between Learning Phrasal Verbs and Language Proficiency in English

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the multivariate relationships of students’ acquisition of a number of common phrasal verbs and their proficiency scores on the cloze test with their scores on two internationally recognized tests, i.e. the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and the First Certificate of English (FCE). This is to determine whether students’ scores on the phrasal verb test can act as a predictor of their achievement in the TOEFL or the FCE together with their performance at the University as measured by the overall grade-point average (GPA). The subjects for the study were 78 students enrolled at the University of Bahrain. The bivariate analysis of the data showed that the students’ scores on the phrasal verb test correlated vary significantly with all the variables tested. Results indicate that the students’ acquisition of phrasal verbs is a better test instrument in predicting their success in either the TOEFL or the FCE than the cloze. The methodological outcome of the study leads educational practitioners to focus their attention on familiarizing the students with commonly used phrasal verbs in English through the use of both intensive and extensive EFL supplementary reading materials.