An Optimized Model Of The Treatment Of Verb+Noun Collocations In English Learner's Collocation Dictionaries

Taking the verb-pattern scheme in OALD4 as a theoretical framework, the thesis aims to propose an optimized model of the treatment of verb+noun collocations in English Learner's Collocation Dictionaries (ELCDs).The author attempts to delve into the following questions:(1)How can collocations be defined based on the study of relevant theories? (2) What are the different approaches of treatment of verb+noun collocations in the existing ELCDs? (3)How to deal with the post-verbal elements in OALD4? What are the implications for the treatment of verb+noun collocations in the ELCDs? (4) What is the optimized model of the treatment of verb+noun collocations in ELCDs?In order to attain these goals, the author adopts comparative study and a case study into the second and third question respectively. Through that, six verb patterns relevant to the treatment of verb+noun collocations are presented within the verb-pattern scheme in OALD4. Major results of the present study are summarized as follows.Firstly, two approaches-the lexical functions based approach and the grammar based approach-are employed in major collocation dictionaries. The lexical functions based approach originates from Soviet lexicographers.Inspired by them, the authors of BBI divide verb+noun collocations into two categories:CA (creation and/or activation) collocations and EN (eradication and/or nullification) collocations. However, the dichotomy of verbs based on the lexical functions and separate numbered codes are not perfect enough. This treatment is less than transparent and time-consuming for the target-collocator-retrieval. Contrast to lexical functions based approach employed by BBI, most English learner's collocation dictionaries adopt a traditional approach- the grammar based approach, which classifies and arranges collocations by different parts of speech of the collocators.Because of learners'familiarity with English grammatical system, this approach is readily understandable.Secondly, in the completely redesigned verb-pattern scheme in OALD4, verbs of English language can be divided into five categories:linking verb, intransitive verb, transitive verb, complex-transitive verb and double-transitive verb.There are altogether thirty-two verb-patterns in this scheme, and six patterns are relevant to the treatment of verb+noun collocations:[Ln] [Ipr] [In/pr] [Tn] [Tn-pr] [Dn-n]. From the analysis, two implications for the treatment of verb+noun collocations in the ELCDs are derived. As far as verb collocator selection is concerned, the compilers. of collocation dictionary need to consult the verb-pattern scheme, because this classification gives an all-round description of the usage of English verb. Only three patterns are included in the existing ELCDs, more categories of English verbs thus should be included in ELCDs.As for exemplification, complete example sentences should be arranged, the dictionary users thus could construct their own sentences with the semantic and syntactic correctness by analogy.Thirdly, taking some factors into consideration, such as the syntactic and semantic features of verb+noun collocations and the encoding function of collocation dictionary, an optimized model of the treatment of verb+noun collocations in ELCDs has been proposed from three different perspectives:collocator selection, collocator ordering and exemplification.(1)On a basis of verb-pattern scheme in OALD4, six patterns of verb+noun collocation should be selected in the ELCDs. Meanwhile, in order to keep a balance between categories and quantity of selected collocators, native English corpora and representative-collocation-selected method should be taken into consideration.(2) The collocation dictionaries relevant to the encoding functions should take the organization principle of mental lexicon into consideration, arrange the words or phrases of similar or related meaning together in virtue of semantic field theory, and then list those groups by statistical frequency.(3)The example sentence citation within a collocator group has to give attention to both semantic and syntactic features of the collocators. Sentences illustrating a specific meaning or a particular verb-pattern should both be cited. The culture feature should also be considered for the dictionary serving for the students within a particular culture.