A Corpus-Based Analysis of Collocation Translation by Arab EFL Learners

Collocations are essential linguistic structures that enhance communication, making them important for EFL learners and translators. This importance has prompted previous research to analyze their function and significance. Research indicates that understanding collocations does not necessarily correlate with vocabulary acquisition, underscoring the need to teach collocations independently and instruct EFL learners in their use and translation. This need stems from EFL learners’ significant difficulties in conceptualizing, using, and translating collocations. To enrich the existing literature and broaden research methodologies, the present study utilized corpus linguistic techniques to assess the accuracy of collocation translations by Arab EFL learners. Data were gathered from a sample of 176 students via a data hub, where they translated 15 English sentences that included 21 collocations. This resulted in a corpus of approximately 22,500 tokens and 4,000 collocations. Accuracy was evaluated based on the frequency of translating collocations into their appropriate Arabic equivalents and an investigation into any statistically significant differences. The results revealed moderate accuracy in collocation translation, likely due to ineffective translation strategies. Additionally, no statistically significant differences were observed in accuracy rates among various types of collocations. These findings have implications for the teaching of collocations and translation. They may also serve as a basis for further research into developing collocation competence among EFL learners and future translators.