Analysis of the phrasal verb lexical exercise features in English foreign as language textbooks

the study and use of phrasal verbs is still a difficult and unsolved problem in the methodology of teaching English as a foreign language. The aim of this paper is to analyze lexical exercises aimed at developing lexical skills on phrasal verb usage. Quantitative data of English textbooks (EFL) show that exercises on phrasal verbs are divided into two groups: pre-textual and post-textual, with the frequency of the first group of exercises exceeding the second group by 1.5 times. Of the 85 exercises analyzed, 33 are classified as exercises in which students have to do some retrieval work – reconstruct the studied material from memory, and 52 are classified as ‘trial and error’ exercises. The latter are introduced without first providing relevant input to help learners with the gaps in their knowledge, students are expected to learn from feedback. According to the second criterion of analysis – matching two parts, exercises are divided into activities to match the form and meaning of a phrasal verb and exercises to form the phrasal verb combining a verb with an appropriate preposition. We believe that the quantitative analysis of exercises will help identify difficulties in mastering phrasal verbs, choose the right types of exercises and their number for effective work in teaching English phrasal verbs.

phrasal verbs, retrieval and trial and error exercises, EFL textbooks