http://wjel.sciedupress.com World Journal of English Language Vol. 12, No. 7; 2022, Special Issue Published by Sciedu Press 55 ISSN 1925-0703 E-ISSN 1925-0711 Arabic-Speaking EFL Learners’ Recognition, and Use of English Phrasal Verbs in Listening and Writing Abdullah Alshayban 1 1 Department of English Language and Translation, College of Arabic Language and Social Studies, Qassim University, Saudi Arabia Correspondence: Abdullah Alshayban, Department of English Language and Translation, College of Arabic Language and Social Studies, Qassim University, Saudi Arabia. Received: August 8, 2022 Accepted: October 18, 2022 Online Published: October 21, 2022 doi:10.5430/wjel.v12n7p55 URL: https://doi.org/10.5430/wjel.v12n7p55 Abstract This study investigates the usefulness of acquiring English PVs (as a key component of English vocabulary) using listening activities. Therefore, this study analyzes how Arabic speakers studying English as a foreign language (EFL) understand and use English phrasal verbs through listening. A self-administered survey was distributed to 74 students, mainly from Saudi Arabia. They listened to a recording incorporating frequently used English phrasal verbs and identified those they could recognize. The survey also measured the ability of respondents to provide sentences in which they used phrasal verbs and gave their meanings in Arabic. The findings indicated that EFL students are likely more familiar with phrasal verbs in writing than in an oral context. For instance, the average respondent could detect six or seven out of ten phrasal verbs they heard, while about 90% of respondents could use the provided phrasal verbs correctly in writing. Respondents recognized some phrasal verbs more than others. At least 80% recognized “pick me up,” “go on,” and “go out,” while less than 47% recognized “came out” and “set up.” More than 81% knew the correct definition of phrasal verbs. These findings offer foundational data to help improve methodologies for Arabic speakers learning EFL through listening activities. Keywords: EFL, listening, phrasal verb, Saudi Arabia, vocabulary 1. Introduction Effective communication in a second language (L2) requires learners to understand what words mean in context (Wright & Cervetti, 2017), making vocabulary building essential (Nation & Webb, 2011; Susanto, 2017; Wang & Treffers-Daller, 2017). In reading, for example, a higher vocabulary leads to greater comprehension (Gardner et al., 2019), and someone must know at least 98% of the words in a passage to interpret its meaning (Schmitt et al., 2011). Furthermore, it is thought that a person needs to know at least 6,000 words to interpret written content in a language (Frevert et al., 2014). A comprehensive approach to learning a language thus targets native-like word knowledge, including word meanings, grammatical details, written forms, and how well the words link to one another (Nation & Webb, 2011). For students of English as a foreign language (EFL) or second language (ESL), phrasal verbs (PVs) pose a particular obstacle to vocabulary retention and comprehension. For example, learners might use the wrong particle with a given verb, changing the meaning, as demonstrated with native Arabic speakers, whose first language (L1) lacks PVs (Alrajhi, 2020). Furthermore, although a person’s language comprehension creates base knowledge, L2 learners may struggle with recognizing deeper word meaning and usage (Fung & Macaro, 2019). Consequently, researchers have suggested integrating PVs into formal learning (Cervantes & Gablasova, 2017; Torres-Martínez, 2018). Previous studies have focused on three primary reasons people avoid PVs: L1-L2 differences or similarities, L2 complexity, and managing EFL student challenges (Liao & Fukuya, 2004). The present study examined how Arabic-speaking EFL students might overcome obstacles to learning PVs. For this purpose, it sought to determine whether intermediate-to-advanced students could detect some of the most common English PVs from an audio recording. 1.1 Research Questions This study sought to determine whether intermediate-to-advanced EFL students in Saudi Arabia could detect the most frequently used English PVs when hearing them. The following research questions guided the study: