Noun-noun collocations in learner writing

Studies of collocations to date have emphasised use and learning of noun-verb and adjective-noun collocations. This study uses three sub-corpora of the ICLE corpus to investigate use of noun-noun collocations by learners in their academic writing. The literature to date has focused on contexts where English is being learnt as a foreign language rather than as a second language. The study therefore compares the influence of ESL and EFL learning contexts on learner use of noun-noun collocations. Findings are that accuracy of noun-noun phrases is significantly greater in the writing of ESL learners. A second question considered is what influence the presence or absence of noun-noun phrases in the first language (L1) has on learner use of these phrases in English. For this purpose, production of noun-noun phrases in written English by L1 Mandarin writers (a language that permits noun-noun phrases) is compared to writing by L1 Spanish writers (a language that does not allow noun-noun phrases). Findings are that learners whose L1 permits noun-noun phrases produce significantly more of them in English than learners whose L1 does not. Problems that learners had in forming noun-noun phrases are discussed qualitatively, and implications for EAP teaching are suggested.