Comparing the effectiveness of verb-focused and particle-focused exercise formats on the recall and recognition of phrasal verbs

Phrasal verbs are important for successful communication and yet are incredibly challenging for language learners. The current study compared two exercise formats for the learning of phrasal verbs. One format draws attention to the verb, while the other brings into focus the particle. In the verb-focused format, students were asked to guess the missing verb before receiving feedback. In the particle-focused format, they were told to guess the missing particle before feedback was presented. The results of a cued-recall test showed that the recall of phrasal verbs was enhanced more effectively in the particle-focused format than in the verb-focused format, although this advantage diminished after one week. A multiple-choice test revealed no significant difference between the two methods in terms of their impact on the recognition of phrasal verbs. The current study also aimed to test the prediction of the episodic recollection hypothesis, which specifies that memory of the initial guess plays a critical role in the subsequent recall of the correct answer. It was also found that asking students to recall their initial guess moderated their performance in the posttest. Overall, the findings of the current study suggest that the particle-focused format boosts the memory of phrasal verbs and that to minimize the adverse effects of proactive interference, it is vital for students to remember their errors. This means that teachers would be advised to focus on exercises that provide the verb and encourage guessing of the particle.