Investigating EFL Secondary Stage Learners' Problems in Comprehending Phrasal Verbs in Written Texts

Abstract

The aim of this research was to find out the problems that face Egyptian EFL secondary stage learners while attempting to comprehend phrasal verbs in written texts. To achieve this aim, a test was designed and administered by the researcher on a random sample of fifteen Egyptian EFL secondary stage students at Modern Infinity Language School. It was hypothesized that (a) Egyptian EFL secondary stage students find it most difficult to comprehend phrasal verbs that consist of a verb + an adverb particle + a preposition as compared to the other two types of phrasal verbs and (b) Egyptian EFL secondary stage students find it most difficult when they are required to guess the meanings of phrasal verbs on their own without being offered any alternatives. Based on the analysis of the test results, it was revealed that both of the research hypotheses were confirmed. However, it should be highlighted that there were limitations to the current research findings. One of these limitations was related to the fact that it was a small scale study conducted on a small group of students in only one school and one governorate. Therefore, it was recommended to conduct this study on a larger scale and to follow more effective teaching methods to help EFL learners overcome their problems in comprehending phrasal verbs