Introduction. The utmost significance the English language holds in today’s modern globalized world is undeniable. Widespread use of social media, even in the faraway villages, makes exposure to the English language alongside others unavoidable. While the number of English learners is soaring throughout the world, discovering the most effective classroom methods and practices remains as challenging as it has always been. Adapting to contemporary digital classrooms is one of the requirements for teachers to cater to the needs of foreign language learners.

A similar trend is noticeable in the Uzbekistan context, where the implementation of substantial reforms can be observed the recent years to popularize teaching and learning English as a Foreign Language. One of the examples can be the execution of Presidential Decree #1875 from December 2012 aims to improve the instruction and acquisition of foreign languages and enhance the communication abilities and global competence of future professionals in Uzbekistan across all disciplines.  In an attempt to actively integrate into the world education system, to advance foreign language instruction as a focal point of educational policy, significantly enhance the quality of education in this domain, recruit qualified educators, and elevate public interest in foreign language acquisition, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan issued Resolution #PR-5117 on May 19, 2021, titled “On measures to elevate the activities promoting the study of foreign languages in the Republic of Uzbekistan,” which outlines several priority objectives. This decree emphasizes the necessity for English proficiency at the requisite level for foreign language educators and instructors in non-philological disciplines.

Literature review.

A: Lexical competence

Historically, more focus was given to grammar in foreign language teaching and learning, which automatically meant that vocabulary learning was of lesser importance. In recent decades, particularly from the 1970s and 1980s onward, however, several educators have emphasized the importance of vocabulary learning. Multiple investigations have demonstrated that vocabulary greatly influences language competency, including reading and writing proficiency, and that inadequate vocabulary proficiency is a common cause of ineffective communication. The rise of interest in vocabulary acquisition and language prompted a renewed vocabulary development and motivated other scholars and practitioners to focus more intently on vocabulary studies. Wilkins (1972) claimed that “without grammar very little can be conveyed, but without vocabulary, nothing can be conveyed” (p. 111). Vocabulary is a fundamental part of language acquisition as well as one of the most important requirements of efficient, smooth communication.

Word knowledge is particularly important for vocabulary learning. Most importantly, the fundamental lexical unit of the language is the word. However, no single word can represent every aspect of the language, which necessitates its usage with other words and constructs, as well as generating phrases and sentences that ultimately constitute the text. Hence, Nattinger and DeCarrico (1992) and Wray (2002) claimed that language learners should not focus on memorizing isolated words. Nation (2001) and Solontsova (2015) argue that mastering a word entails comprehending its meaning, its verbal and pictorial representations, its capacity to associate with other words, and thus, mastering word construction and inflection. The element of word form applies to the verbal and pictorial manifestations of words, together with their morphological structure. The aspect of word meaning encompasses knowledge of several elements, including reference, sense, connotative meaning, and sense connections. The last component, word usage, pertains to understanding the grammatical, lexical, and stylistic limitations on the employment of words within a language context. Of the three facets of lexical knowledge, the last facet has garnered the least focus, yet it is of the utmost importance for precise language application. Since words do not come in isolation, besides learning their correct form, meaning, it is insightful to consider other words that naturally appear with it.

Lexical competence entails the ability to assemble words into coherent messages. In other words, it not only involves knowing the word’s translation and spelling, but also knowing the words it naturally co-occurs with in L2. In contrast to L2 speakers, native English speakers possess an intuitive understanding that certain words in their language tend to habitually come together in relatively fixed and recurrent combinations. According to Bartsch (2004), as a consequence, native speakers instinctively reject any violation of these lexical combinations, even if the resulting utterance appears grammatically correct and comprehensible. The principles regulating the co-occurrence of lexical components in collocations elude explanation based on standard combinational rules of syntax and semantics, rendering collocations a significant challenge in second language learning.

According to McCarthy (1990), vocabulary, particularly word collocations, is the cornerstone of learning English and is crucial in demonstrating a person’s linguistic competence. However, collocations remain neglected in the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) settings, and several studies have found that second language (L2) learners struggle to acquire collocations. Although the examination of collocations has garnered significant interest recently, a precise definition of collocations remains elusive and hazy.

B: Collocations

Collocations, naturally co-occurring word combinations, are an essential part of the English language. Even though considerable research has been conducted in grammar, recent years have seen the rise of interest in learning the key role collocations hold in the English language. The reason for this reframing of ideas, collocations are not only associated with vocabulary but also with grammar. In fact, Scrivener (2005) placed collocations and chunks into the “intermediate zone” between grammar and vocabulary (p. 227). In other words, they can be considered as mediators between grammar and vocabulary.

The term “collocation” is considered highly controversial, and Nesselhauf (2005) argues that it is, since the definition is hazy. In addition, various scholars have assigned varying attributes to the term “collocations” based on their respective fields of inquiry.  For instance, Joshua (2018) categorized all of the definitions into two main classifications: statistical and phraseological. In contrast, corpus linguists mainly emphasize a statistical approach, often highlighting frequency as a characteristic of collocations, while attributes such as semantics, syntax, and the mental lexicon are the focus of scholars advocating for a phraseological approach. Neither of the proponents of the approaches contradicts the other.

Various researchers have defined collocations differently. However, they were examined from two primary perspectives: the phraseological method and statistical approach. The first technique analyzes collocations based on the aspect of word combinations with different degrees of fixedness, while the latter studies the term using distinct formulae employed to interpret corpora and study vocabulary items. According to Wray (2000), collocations are “a sequence, continuous or discontinuous, of words or other meaning elements, which is, or appears to be, prefabricated: that is, stored and retrieved whole from memory at the time of use, rather than being subject to generation or analysis by the language grammar” (p. 465). The definition given by Durrant (2009) is more aligned with a statistical approach by stating that collocations are combinations of two or more words that co-occur with greater frequency than their separate occurrences would imply. Corpus linguistics gives more focus on a statistical approach.

Lewis (1998) also categorized collocations in alliance with a statistical approach, where collocations are divided into 1) strongly fixed, 2) weakly fixed, and 3) mediumly fixed.

According to Hill (2000), a collocation may have two or more words and include the following components:

The term “collocation” was initially established by Firth (1957) and described as a combination of words associated with other terms. Similarly, the definition presented by Sinclair (1991) argues that a collocation has two components: the node and the collocate, which hapitually co-occur. The example is “mistake” co-occurs with “make” rather than “do”, which is mostly misused by Uzbek learners due to L1 equivalency.  Hoey (2005) also stated that collocation is defined as the occurrence of words used together in context.

Joshua (2018) summarized the definitions of collocations and highlighted the subsequent attributes of a collocation:

• words that commonly co-occur,
• semi-preconstructed sentences suggesting singular options for a speaker,
• word combinations varying in acceptability,
• a specific category of word combination (verb+noun),
• semantics (processing intrinsic meaning).

Collocations, also known as “prefabricated units, prefabs, phraseological units, (lexical) chunks, multi-word units, or formulaic sequences” (Nesselhauf, 2005), are composed of two or more words that frequently co-exist together. Multiple overlapping interpretations of collocation exist, many of which revolve around the notion of words commonly co-occurring. However, Lewis (2000) claims that this type of defining collocation is regrettably unhelpful for teachers as it is simply too vague and broad to effectively direct learners’ focus to a particular aspect of the text in a clear and purposeful manner.

C: To teach collocations or not?

While there is a lasting dispute on the practicality of teaching collocations to non-native learners, numerous compelling reasons support emphasizing collocation instruction in the language classroom. First and foremost, the lack of collocational competence in EFL learners is considered to be “the most tangible marker of their non-nativeness” (Nagy, 2020), whilst knowledge of collocations contributes to achieving native-like fluency, something most language learners aim for. In other words, according to Schmitt (2000) and Nattinger (1988), collocational knowledge can assist in enhancing native-like fluency in both speaking and writing. This happens due to the fact that collocations are stored as “pre-packaged building blocks” (Nattinger, 1988, p. 75). While it takes longer for non-native speakers to process and produce foreign language items, the pre-packaged nature of collocation can assist in speeding up the process and boost fluency. In its turn, foreign language users receive a strong linguistic foundation which equips learners with the stability required for effective language use, which in turn fosters greater confidence.

In the initial stage of learning a foreign language, learners chase after accuracy in speaking while also trying to store as many single-word units as possible in their minds. However, the urge to balance accuracy and lexical proficiency in mind, especially in another language, produces a huge mental load and can demotivate them in the long run. Whilst single-word units require learners to string together words on their own, in which learners are prone to make a lot of mistakes and impose a greater cognitive burden on language learners, collocations, being pre-formed structures, function as readily accessible lexical units and mitigate the mental effort required in language production and comprehension. Nattinger (1988) describes this phenomenon as students being relieved from the cognitive demand of formulating utterances from basic elements on each occasion. Altuwerish (2016) also highlights the fact that collocations, given their status as macro-level discourse units, allow speakers to focus more effectively on the larger structures of discourse.

The above-mentioned aspects of collocations serve as proof that collocations and idiomatic language serve a fundamental role in facilitating communication, which also highlights the fact that limited mastery of such expressions can negatively impact communicative effectiveness. The more collocational knowledge learners gain in L2, the less effort and time it takes to achieve communicative competence.

D: Video Content

The digital era generated the immediate need to adapt EFL classrooms into the new world, where the traditional pedagogical principles should be blended with innovative ones to cater to the new generation's needs. The upcoming generation has been born and raised with technology at their fingertips. Instead of opposing technological innovations in the modern era, it is wiser to incorporate them into traditional classrooms to leverage learning opportunities. The integration of video materials into EFL contexts can boost teaching efficiency as they are powerful educational tools.

The recent years saw the inclination towards utilization of technology and video, as well as their incorporation into English instruction, which can be considered as a fundamental point in the future of EFL teaching and learning. The use of video in English has increased dramatically in recent years due to the growing focus on communicative strategies. According to Hemei (1997), not only students but also teachers find videos to be a rich and helpful resource. The use of videos in class not only assists in creating engaging and stimulating atmosphere in class, but also they foster comprehension as well as bringing a variety of cultural nuances into class. Videos can deliver substantial intelligible content, offering input that facilitates L2 acquisition. Consequently, video clips, movies, and films have been researched to positively influence L2 proficiency, particularly in listening, speaking, and vocabulary. However, the effects of integrating video materials into teaching and learning collocations should requires further research.

Conclusion. In summary, although the concept of collocation remains elusive and hazy, its crucial significance in helping the development of a proficient understanding of native English is undeniable. Language instructors aiming for their learners to attain native-like skills should allocate sufficient attention to instructing collocations and guaranteeing ample exposure to them. Moreover, authentic video materials offer multimodal input and promote both inadvertent and intentional acquisition of collocations. However, the most effective innovative strategies for instructing and acquiring L2 collocations required further research since limited amount of study has examined the use of videos for foreign language collocation acquisition.