{"id":6605,"date":"2021-03-03T06:55:41","date_gmt":"2021-03-03T06:55:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/elblogdeidiomas.es\/?p=6605"},"modified":"2021-02-26T21:56:19","modified_gmt":"2021-02-26T21:56:19","slug":"collocations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/elblogdeidiomas.es\/en\/collocations\/","title":{"rendered":"Collocations"},"content":{"rendered":"

Collocations<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Each and every language in the world is unique and incredible.\u00a0But it can also cause nightmares.\u00a0And that’s mainly because, well,\u00a0languages \u200b\u200bare unique and cannot be learned as translations of other languages<\/strong>\u00a0.\u00a0Naturally, this is because each language has its own idiomatic characteristics that are created and defined by its speakers, and it is within these idiomatic characteristics that we find what we call collocations in English.\u00a0The term placement,<\/strong>\u00a0despite what it may sound like in Spanish, is actually a very important concept in language learning.<\/p>\n

What are collocations?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Collocations\u00a0are two words that are often used together like a fixed phrase<\/strong>\u00a0.\u00a0For example, we say tall building instead of high building.\u00a0We use collocations all the time in English, so learning and using them will make it sound much more natural.<\/p>\n

Therefore, a placement in a language\u00a0is a combination of words that go together with a certain frequency<\/strong>\u00a0, perhaps some people take it as an idiom or a phrasal verb (verb phrase).\u00a0However, this assessment is far from correct or is not necessarily true.\u00a0The reality is that idioms and phrasal verbs are collocations, but we insist that\u00a0not all collocations are idioms or Phrasal verbs.<\/strong><\/p>\n

That is to say\u2026<\/h4>\n

Specifically, a placement is made up of two or more words that are commonly used together in English.\u00a0Think of collocations as words that often go together.\u00a0… Strong collocations are combinations of words that are expected to come together, such as combinations with “make and do” and (hacer): you make a cup of tea but you do your homework (preparas una taza de t\u00e9, pero haces tu tarea).<\/p>\n

Linguistic peculiarities<\/strong><\/h2>\n

As a general rule, languages<\/strong>\u00a0should not be, rather, they cannot be learned as a simple translation of another or other languages.\u00a0Because it is logical that each language has some idiomatic peculiarities that its speakers create and establish and that is how, from these characteristics in English we call them collocations (colocaciones). Naturally, the term placement does not have as a concept in Spanish the importance it really has in language learning.<\/p>\n

The value of collocations?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The collocations make the reference language sound natural hence its great importance.\u00a0For this reason, if you master the collocations, your English will sound natural, that is,\u00a0**<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  • I try to make my bed every morning.\u00a0<\/em>(NOT do my bed) \/\u00a0<\/em>(Yo intento hacer la cama cada ma\u00f1ana. (NO preparar la cama))<\/li>\n
  • Sean likes to surf the web before going to bed.\u00a0<\/em>(NOT navigate the web) \/\u00a0<\/em>(<\/em>A Sean le gusta navegar por internet antes de irse a la cama. (NO surfear por internet))<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    What is the problem with collocations?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    We can say that the placements are indeterminate in a way<\/strong>\u00a0, because they usually do not seem to have any explanation and also their list is endless.\u00a0It is easy for a student to wonder why his answer on a test is wrong.\u00a0The truth is that it can be disconcerting and the worst thing is that the teacher in many cases only has to say in response that this is how it is used and nothing more.<\/p>\n

    So how should you study collocations?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    You have to be aware that it is a language<\/strong>\u00a0, therefore, as such, you have to approach it and avoid proceeding as if it were a translation of your own language.\u00a0You must not admit that because we usually say “surf the internet” this is the correct formula in English, far from it.\u00a0In this regard,\u00a0you should also avoid translating word for word<\/strong>\u00a0.\u00a0Whenever you translate expressions to study them, you must do it with said expression in content that is clear and that reminds you of the expression.<\/p>\n

    Second,\u00a0when you study new expressions, always introduce them where they meet<\/strong>\u00a0as part of a sentence where it makes sense.\u00a0For example, it is not normal to try to memorize that “get” is “conseguir” when you are faced with this phrase “I got home pretty late”, because “got” in it means “arrived.”<\/p>\n

    Learn the language in chunks (in Spanish, word blocks).<\/h3>\n

    This means that you should focus on language as a sum of set phrases, rather than a sum of individual words.\u00a0This point of view is based on Lewis’s lexical approach.<\/p>\n

    When you learn a new grammar point, don’t focus on the rules.\u00a0You must understand the rules, but you must focus on the sound of that grammar structure<\/strong>\u00a0.\u00a0Repeat this and use it until it sounds natural and automatic.\u00a0A clear example of this is how we use conditional sentences.<\/p>\n

    It is very important to learn from your mistakes<\/strong>\u00a0.\u00a0One wrong answer will teach you more than ten correct answers.\u00a0If you make a mistake, try to memorize what you did wrong so you don’t do it again.<\/p>\n

    Do not despair!<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    It is very important because it is normal to have trouble sounding natural in a foreign language.\u00a0However,\u00a0you must work hard and make the most of all the exercises<\/strong>\u00a0you do.\u00a0If it does, you are sure to eventually see an improvement in your skills.<\/p>\n

    Use the dictionary<\/strong>\u00a0.\u00a0The more the better.\u00a0OZDIC is an extremely good collocation dictionary.\u00a0After writing a piece, read it and search for keywords in OZDIC.\u00a0You will be amazed at the variety of collocations you can use!<\/p>\n

    We hope you try all these tips and find them very useful.\u00a0And don’t forget to check the closest call for any\u00a0official English exam\u00a0.<\/p>\n\n\n

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    Collocations Each and every language in the world is unique and incredible.\u00a0But it can also cause nightmares.\u00a0And that’s mainly because,...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2637,"featured_media":7159,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8092,8093,8075,8064],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6605","post","type-post","status-publish","format-image","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-level-b1-levels","category-level-b2-levels","category-learn-english","category-uncategorized","post_format-post-format-image"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/elblogdeidiomas.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6605","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/elblogdeidiomas.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/elblogdeidiomas.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/elblogdeidiomas.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2637"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/elblogdeidiomas.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6605"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/elblogdeidiomas.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6605\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8960,"href":"https:\/\/elblogdeidiomas.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6605\/revisions\/8960"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/elblogdeidiomas.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7159"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/elblogdeidiomas.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6605"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/elblogdeidiomas.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6605"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/elblogdeidiomas.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6605"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}