Cognitive-Based Methodology of English Phrasal Verbs

The purpose of this paper is to suggest the effective and systematic learning system concerning English phrasal verbs under the framework of the Cognitive Grammar advocated by Ronald W. Langacker (1987). Namely, in order to link the L2 (second language) learners’ cognitive abilities to their language faculty, we have developed sense-stimulating lessons with several visual images and self-learning materials preserved by Javascript. In our experimental lessons, we employed moving pictures of spatial particles in combination with frequently used verbs such as “call”, “come”, “take”, “get”, “give”, “go”, and “look”. We required our subjects to review the lessons through the Javascript self-learning materials. Furthermore, we measured the effectiveness of our cognitive-based lessons and self-learning system statistically: We have proven that the exposure to visual images of phrasal verbs and self-learning via Javascript motivates L2 learners to acquire these lexical items which are very important in English pedagogy but at the same time difficult to learn.