Understanding the Efficiency of the Lexical Approach through Investigating the Acquisition and Use of Vocabulary and Collocation

This study aims to explore the intricate relationships between receptive knowledge of collocations, vocabulary size, and writing ability among English department students The research also evaluates the effectiveness of the lexical approach in equipping language learners with a robust vocabulary foundation, which is critical for the composition of English texts. To investigate these relationships, a sample of 200 Moroccan university students enrolled in the English department in the faculty of letters and human sciences in Cady Ayad university participated in three assessments. These included a receptive collocation knowledge test designed to measure students’ understanding of word combinations commonly used in English, a vocabulary size test to assess the breadth of their lexical knowledge, and a writing test. The results of the study revealed a significant correlation between receptive collocation competence and writing ability, suggesting that proficiency in recognizing and understanding collocations may enhance overall writing skills. Additionally, there was a positive relationship between vocabulary size and receptive collocation knowledge, indicating that a larger vocabulary may facilitate better understanding of collocations. These findings underscore the importance of focusing on collocations in language instruction, as they may play a crucial role in improving writing and overall language proficiency.