{"id":5214,"date":"2026-06-12T23:07:30","date_gmt":"2026-06-12T23:07:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/english-collocations-practical-guide-taiwan\/"},"modified":"2026-06-12T23:08:59","modified_gmt":"2026-06-12T23:08:59","slug":"english-collocations-practical-guide-taiwan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/ja\/english-collocations-practical-guide-taiwan\/","title":{"rendered":"English Collocations Explained: A Practical Guide for Taiwan Learners (2026) | \u82f1\u6587\u642d\u914d\u8a5e\u5b78\u7fd2\u6307\u5357"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>\u672c\u6587\u91cd\u9ede:<\/strong> \u82f1\u6587\u642d\u914d\u8a5e (English collocations) \u662f\u53f0\u7063\u4e0a\u73ed\u65cf (Taiwan professionals) \u82f1\u6587\u5b78\u7fd2 (English learning) \u6700\u5e38\u5ffd\u7565\u7684\u95dc\u9375\u74b0\u7bc0\u3002\u672c\u6307\u5357\u6559\u4f60\u5546\u696d\u82f1\u6587 (business English) \u5fc5\u5099\u642d\u914d\u8a5e\u3001\u591a\u76ca (TOEIC) \u8207\u5168\u6c11\u82f1\u6aa2 (GEPT) \u9ad8\u5206\u6280\u5de7\uff0c\u4ee5\u53ca\u5982\u4f55\u900f\u904e\u82f1\u6587\u5bb6\u6559 (English tutor) \u6216\u7dda\u4e0a\u82f1\u6587 (online English) \u8ab2\u7a0b\u7df4\u7fd2\u81ea\u7136\u642d\u914d\u8a5e\u3002\u5b78\u6703\u642d\u914d\u8a5e\u80fd\u8b93\u4f60\u7684\u8077\u5834\u82f1\u6587 (workplace English) \u807d\u8d77\u4f86\u66f4\u9053\u5730\u3001\u66f4\u5c08\u696d\uff0c\u662f\u5546\u696d\u6703\u8b70\u3001\u82f1\u6587\u5beb\u4f5c\u3001\u8077\u5834\u5347\u9077\u4e0d\u53ef\u6216\u7f3a\u7684\u5de5\u5177\u3002<\/p>\n\n<p>If you&#8217;ve spent years memorizing vocabulary lists but still sound robotic when speaking English at work, you&#8217;re probably missing a critical piece of the puzzle: collocations. These are the natural word combinations native speakers use without thinking. &#8220;Heavy rain&#8221; sounds right. &#8220;Strong rain&#8221; sounds wrong \u2014 even though both adjectives mean roughly the same thing.<\/p>\n\n<p>For Taiwan professionals climbing the corporate ladder, mastering collocations is the difference between sounding like a textbook and sounding like a colleague. This guide explains what collocations are, why they trip up even advanced learners, and how to start using them naturally in business English emails, meetings, and presentations.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/english-collocations-practical-guide-taiwan-2.jpg\" alt=\"Dictionary: Technology\" class=\"wp-image-5209\" srcset=\"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/english-collocations-practical-guide-taiwan-2.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/english-collocations-practical-guide-taiwan-2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/english-collocations-practical-guide-taiwan-2-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/english-collocations-practical-guide-taiwan-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/english-collocations-practical-guide-taiwan-2-18x12.jpg 18w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/english-collocations-practical-guide-taiwan-2-600x400.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Dictionary: Technology<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Are English Collocations? | \u4ec0\u9ebc\u662f\u82f1\u6587\u642d\u914d\u8a5e\uff1f<\/h2>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/_v68FYLrXek?feature=oembed\" title=\"English Collocations Explained: A Practical Guide for Taiwan Learners (2026)\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>A collocation is a pair or group of words that frequently appear together in natural English. They aren&#8217;t grammar rules \u2014 they&#8217;re patterns that native speakers internalize through years of exposure. Some combinations sound completely natural while others, even if grammatically correct, sound strange to a native ear.<\/p>\n\n<p>Consider these examples that often trip up Taiwan learners studying for the TOEIC (\u591a\u76ca) exam:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>We say <em>\u6c7a\u65ad\u3092\u4e0b\u3059<\/em> \u2014 not <em>do a decision<\/em><\/li><li>We say <em>\u30b7\u30e3\u30ef\u30fc\u3092\u6d74\u3073\u308b<\/em> \u2014 not <em>make a shower<\/em><\/li><li>We say <em>heavy traffic<\/em> \u2014 not <em>thick traffic<\/em><\/li><li>We say <em>fast food<\/em> \u2014 not <em>quick food<\/em><\/li><li>We say <em>do your homework<\/em> \u2014 not <em>make your homework<\/em><\/li><\/ul>\n\n<p>None of these are grammar mistakes. They&#8217;re collocation patterns. Getting them wrong won&#8217;t stop you from being understood, but it will mark you as a non-native speaker every single time you open your mouth in a meeting.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Seven Main Types of Collocations | \u642d\u914d\u8a5e\u7684\u4e03\u5927\u985e\u578b<\/h3>\n\n<p>Linguists typically group collocations into seven categories based on the parts of speech involved:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Adjective + Noun<\/strong>: heavy rain, strong coffee, fierce competition<\/li><li><strong>Noun + Noun<\/strong>: a sense of pride, a piece of advice, a round of applause<\/li><li><strong>Verb + Noun<\/strong>: commit a crime, do homework, make progress<\/li><li><strong>Verb + Adverb<\/strong>: speak loudly, drive carefully, smile warmly<\/li><li><strong>Adverb + Adjective<\/strong>: highly successful, deeply concerned, fully aware<\/li><li><strong>Verb + Preposition<\/strong>: arrive at, look forward to, depend on<\/li><li><strong>Adjective + Preposition<\/strong>: afraid of, interested in, worried about<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why Collocations Matter for Taiwan Professionals | \u70ba\u4ec0\u9ebc\u642d\u914d\u8a5e\u5c0d\u53f0\u7063\u4e0a\u73ed\u65cf\u5f88\u91cd\u8981<\/h2>\n\n<p>\u5c0d\u53f0\u7063\u4e0a\u73ed\u65cf\u4f86\u8aaa\uff0c\u642d\u914d\u8a5e (collocations) \u662f\u82f1\u6587\u9032\u968e\u7684\u95dc\u9375\u3002\u80cc\u55ae\u5b57\u53ea\u80fd\u8b93\u4f60\u770b\u61c2\u6587\u7ae0\uff0c\u4f46\u8981\u5728\u5546\u696d\u6703\u8b70\u3001\u5ba2\u6236\u7c21\u5831\u3001\u82f1\u6587email\u4e2d\u6d41\u66a2\u8868\u9054\uff0c\u5fc5\u9808\u638c\u63e1\u81ea\u7136\u642d\u914d\u8a5e\u3002<\/p>\n\n<p>Vocabulary lists give you words. Grammar books give you rules. But collocations give you fluency. When you internalize natural word combinations, three things happen at work.<\/p>\n\n<p><strong>You sound more professional.<\/strong> Saying <em>we need to make a strategic decision<\/em> instead of <em>we need to do a big choosing<\/em> instantly signals competence in business English (\u5546\u696d\u82f1\u6587). Colleagues will trust your judgment more when your language matches the standard they expect from a senior teammate.<\/p>\n\n<p><strong>You understand faster.<\/strong> Native speakers chunk language. They don&#8217;t process <em>make<\/em> + <em>a<\/em> + <em>decision<\/em> as three separate words \u2014 they hear <em>make-a-decision<\/em> as one unit. When you know the chunks, you process spoken English faster and miss fewer details in conference calls (\u96fb\u8a71\u6703\u8b70).<\/p>\n\n<p><strong>You write better emails.<\/strong> Most business writing relies on a small set of formal collocations: <em>address the issue<\/em>, <em>reach a consensus<\/em>, <em>raise concerns<\/em>, <em>implement a strategy<\/em>. Learn these chunks and your emails will read like they were written by a native speaker.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Strong vs Weak Collocations | \u5f37\u642d\u914d\u8207\u5f31\u642d\u914d<\/h2>\n\n<p>Not all collocations are equally fixed. Linguists distinguish between strong collocations (\u56fa\u5b9a\u642d\u914d) and weak collocations (\u5f48\u6027\u642d\u914d).<\/p>\n\n<p><strong>Strong collocations<\/strong> have very few acceptable partners. You <em>commit a crime<\/em> \u2014 you don&#8217;t perform, execute, or carry out a crime. You <em>shrug your shoulders<\/em> \u2014 you don&#8217;t move, lift, or raise them in this context. These are nearly fixed and sound noticeably wrong when broken.<\/p>\n\n<p><strong>Weak collocations<\/strong> allow many partners. You can have a good, bad, nice, terrible, interesting, boring, long, short, or unforgettable day. The adjective <em>good<\/em> combines freely with thousands of nouns. Errors here are less noticeable but still affect how natural you sound.<\/p>\n\n<p>For learners, strong collocations are the priority. They&#8217;re the ones that draw attention when you get them wrong. Focus your study energy on the rigid pairs first, then expand into the flexible ones as you build fluency.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/english-collocations-practical-guide-taiwan-4.jpg\" alt=\"A group of colleagues having a business meeting in an office meeting room\" class=\"wp-image-5210\" srcset=\"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/english-collocations-practical-guide-taiwan-4.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/english-collocations-practical-guide-taiwan-4-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/english-collocations-practical-guide-taiwan-4-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/english-collocations-practical-guide-taiwan-4-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/english-collocations-practical-guide-taiwan-4-18x12.jpg 18w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/english-collocations-practical-guide-taiwan-4-600x400.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A group of colleagues having a business meeting in an office meeting room<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">30 Essential Collocations Every Taiwan Pro Should Know | 30 \u500b\u53f0\u7063\u4e0a\u73ed\u65cf\u5fc5\u5099\u642d\u914d\u8a5e<\/h2>\n\n<p>These collocations appear constantly in Taiwan workplaces \u2014 meetings, emails, presentations, and casual office talk. Memorize the chunks, not the individual words. Practice each one out loud until the pairing feels automatic.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Business Meetings | \u5546\u696d\u6703\u8b70<\/h3>\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>raise a concern<\/strong> \u2014 to bring up a problem politely<\/li><li><strong>reach a consensus<\/strong> \u2014 to all agree on something<\/li><li><strong>make a point<\/strong> \u2014 to express an important idea<\/li><li><strong>set an agenda<\/strong> \u2014 to plan what a meeting will cover<\/li><li><strong>address an issue<\/strong> \u2014 to deal with a problem directly<\/li><li><strong>follow up<\/strong> \u2014 to check on progress afterward<\/li><li><strong>tight deadline<\/strong> \u2014 a deadline that is hard to meet<\/li><li><strong>action items<\/strong> \u2014 tasks assigned at the end of a meeting<\/li><li><strong>circle back<\/strong> \u2014 to return to a topic later<\/li><li><strong>key takeaway<\/strong> \u2014 the most important point<\/li><\/ol>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"672\" src=\"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/english-collocations-practical-guide-taiwan-5.jpg\" alt=\"students in classroom with teacher presenting\" class=\"wp-image-5211\" srcset=\"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/english-collocations-practical-guide-taiwan-5.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/english-collocations-practical-guide-taiwan-5-300x187.jpg 300w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/english-collocations-practical-guide-taiwan-5-1024x637.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/english-collocations-practical-guide-taiwan-5-768x478.jpg 768w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/english-collocations-practical-guide-taiwan-5-18x12.jpg 18w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/english-collocations-practical-guide-taiwan-5-600x373.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">students in classroom with teacher presenting<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Workplace Communication | \u8077\u5834\u6e9d\u901a<\/h3>\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"11\"><li><strong>heavy workload<\/strong> \u2014 too much work<\/li><li><strong>fierce competition<\/strong> \u2014 strong rivalry between companies<\/li><li><strong>strong leadership<\/strong> \u2014 effective guidance from a manager<\/li><li><strong>valuable experience<\/strong> \u2014 useful work history<\/li><li><strong>broad knowledge<\/strong> \u2014 wide understanding of a field<\/li><li><strong>take on responsibility<\/strong> \u2014 to accept duties<\/li><li><strong>make progress<\/strong> \u2014 to advance toward a goal<\/li><li><strong>meet expectations<\/strong> \u2014 to perform as required<\/li><li><strong>exceed expectations<\/strong> \u2014 to do better than required<\/li><li><strong>face challenges<\/strong> \u2014 to encounter difficulties<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Daily Office Life | \u65e5\u5e38\u8fa6\u516c\u5ba4\u751f\u6d3b<\/h3>\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"21\"><li><strong>busy schedule<\/strong> \u2014 many things to do<\/li><li><strong>spare time<\/strong> \u2014 free time outside work<\/li><li><strong>rush hour<\/strong> \u2014 peak commuting times<\/li><li><strong>quick break<\/strong> \u2014 a short pause<\/li><li><strong>strong coffee<\/strong> \u2014 coffee with a powerful flavor<\/li><li><strong>casual conversation<\/strong> \u2014 informal chat<\/li><li><strong>open office<\/strong> \u2014 workplace without walls<\/li><li><strong>remote work<\/strong> \u2014 working from outside the office<\/li><li><strong>flexible hours<\/strong> \u2014 adjustable working times<\/li><li><strong>work-life balance<\/strong> \u2014 healthy split between job and personal life<\/li><\/ol>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Learn Collocations Effectively | \u5982\u4f55\u6709\u6548\u5b78\u7fd2\u642d\u914d\u8a5e<\/h2>\n\n<p>Memorizing collocation lists alone is slow and forgettable. Use these four methods together to make the patterns stick in your long-term memory.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Notice and Record | \u89c0\u5bdf\u4e26\u8a18\u9304<\/h3>\n\n<p>When you read English news, watch business presentations on YouTube, or listen to podcasts, actively notice word pairs. Keep a notebook organized by topic \u2014 meetings, email, presentations \u2014 and write down chunks, not individual words. Your brain remembers patterns better than isolated items.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Use a Collocations Dictionary | \u4f7f\u7528\u642d\u914d\u8a5e\u5178<\/h3>\n\n<p>A regular dictionary tells you what words mean. A collocations dictionary tells you which words appear with them. The Oxford Collocations Dictionary is the standard reference and is available in print and online. When you learn a new word, check what verbs, adjectives, and prepositions naturally pair with it.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/english-collocations-practical-guide-taiwan-7.jpg\" alt=\"three men sitting while using laptops and watching man beside whiteboard\" class=\"wp-image-5212\" srcset=\"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/english-collocations-practical-guide-taiwan-7.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/english-collocations-practical-guide-taiwan-7-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/english-collocations-practical-guide-taiwan-7-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/english-collocations-practical-guide-taiwan-7-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/english-collocations-practical-guide-taiwan-7-16x12.jpg 16w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/english-collocations-practical-guide-taiwan-7-600x450.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">three men sitting while using laptops and watching man beside whiteboard<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Practice with an English Tutor | \u8207\u82f1\u6587\u5bb6\u6559\u7df4\u7fd2<\/h3>\n\n<p>A skilled English tutor (\u82f1\u6587\u5bb6\u6559) will catch unnatural word combinations in real time. This is the fastest correction loop available \u2014 much faster than self-study. Look for tutors who specialize in business English and have experience working with Taiwan professionals. Even one hour a week of focused conversation practice will accelerate your collocation acquisition dramatically.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Read in Your Field | \u95b1\u8b80\u5c08\u696d\u9818\u57df\u6587\u7ae0<\/h3>\n\n<p>If you work in finance, read the Financial Times. If you work in tech, read TechCrunch. Reading authentic content in your industry exposes you to the exact collocations you&#8217;ll need to use in your own work. Aim for 20 minutes a day \u2014 consistency beats intensity when building this kind of pattern recognition.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Common Collocation Mistakes Taiwan Learners Make | \u53f0\u7063\u5b78\u7fd2\u8005\u5e38\u898b\u642d\u914d\u8a5e\u932f\u8aa4<\/h2>\n\n<p>\u591a\u6578\u53f0\u7063\u5b78\u7fd2\u8005\u7684\u642d\u914d\u8a5e\u932f\u8aa4\u4f86\u81ea\u4e2d\u7ffb\u82f1 (direct translation)\u3002\u4e2d\u6587\u4e00\u500b\u52d5\u8a5e (\u4f8b\u5982\u300c\u505a\u300d\u3001\u300c\u958b\u300d\u3001\u300c\u6253\u300d) \u5728\u82f1\u6587\u88e1\u53ef\u80fd\u5c0d\u61c9\u591a\u500b\u52d5\u8a5e (do\/make\/take\/have)\u3002\u80cc\u8aa6\u6642\u8acb\u628a\u6574\u500b\u8a5e\u7d44\u8a18\u4e0b\u4f86\uff0c\u4e0d\u8981\u62c6\u958b\u8a18\u3002<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Translating \u958b as &#8220;Open&#8221;<\/h3>\n\n<p>In Chinese, \u958b covers many actions. In English, each action has its own collocation: <em>open a door<\/em>, <em>turn on a light<\/em>, <em>start a car<\/em>, <em>hold a meeting<\/em>. Saying <em>open a meeting<\/em> \u307e\u305f\u306f <em>open the light<\/em> sounds like direct translation and immediately marks you as a non-native speaker.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Translating \u505a as &#8220;Do&#8221;<\/h3>\n\n<p>Chinese \u505a spreads across English&#8217;s <em>do<\/em>, <em>make<\/em>, <em>take<\/em>, \u3001 \u305d\u3057\u3066 <em>have<\/em>. Common mistakes include: <em>do a decision<\/em> (should be <em>make<\/em>), <em>do a photo<\/em> (should be <em>take<\/em>), <em>do a shower<\/em> (should be <em>take<\/em>), and <em>do a party<\/em> (should be <em>throw<\/em> \u307e\u305f\u306f <em>have<\/em>).<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Using &#8220;Very&#8221; Everywhere<\/h3>\n\n<p>Taiwan learners default to <em>very + adjective<\/em> because Chinese \u5f88 works that way. But English prefers specific intensifiers: <em>deeply concerned<\/em> (not very concerned), <em>highly successful<\/em> (not very successful), <em>strongly disagree<\/em> (not very disagree), <em>fully aware<\/em> (not very aware).<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/english-collocations-practical-guide-taiwan-8.jpg\" alt=\"an empty notebook and pencil on the white background\" class=\"wp-image-5213\" srcset=\"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/english-collocations-practical-guide-taiwan-8.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/english-collocations-practical-guide-taiwan-8-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/english-collocations-practical-guide-taiwan-8-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/english-collocations-practical-guide-taiwan-8-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/english-collocations-practical-guide-taiwan-8-18x12.jpg 18w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/english-collocations-practical-guide-taiwan-8-600x400.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">an empty notebook and pencil on the white background<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">FAQ: Collocations for ESL Learners | \u5e38\u898b\u554f\u984c<\/h2>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Are collocations tested on the TOEIC?<\/h3>\n\n<p>Yes \u2014 heavily. TOEIC Listening and Reading sections feature collocations in nearly every passage. Many incorrect answer choices use grammatically valid but unnatural word pairs to trick test-takers. Studying collocations alone can raise your TOEIC score (\u591a\u76ca\u5206\u6578) significantly, often by 50 points or more.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How many collocations should I know?<\/h3>\n\n<p>Research suggests that mastering 2,500 to 5,000 common collocations covers most workplace English needs. Start with the highest-frequency 500 (your collocations dictionary will mark these as high-frequency entries) and build from there. Quality beats quantity \u2014 knowing 500 collocations well is more useful than half-knowing 2,000.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Are collocations the same as idioms?<\/h3>\n\n<p>No. Idioms (\u6163\u7528\u8a9e) have figurative meanings \u2014 <em>kick the bucket<\/em> means die, not literally kick a bucket. Collocations are literal word pairings that just happen to sound natural together \u2014 <em>heavy rain<\/em> still means rain that&#8217;s heavy. Collocations are far more common and more important for everyday business fluency than idioms.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can I learn collocations from movies?<\/h3>\n\n<p>Yes, with the right method. Watch with English subtitles, pause when you hear a useful chunk, and write the full sentence in your notebook. Office-set series like <em>\u30aa\u30d5\u30a3\u30b9<\/em> \u305d\u3057\u3066 <em>Suits<\/em> are gold mines for workplace collocations. Repeated exposure to the same characters using the same expressions builds pattern recognition fast.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How long does it take to sound natural?<\/h3>\n\n<p>With deliberate daily practice \u2014 noticing, recording, and using new collocations \u2014 most learners see noticeable improvement within three months and start sounding genuinely natural in business contexts within a year. Consistency matters more than intensity; 20 focused minutes a day beats four hours on a weekend.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Start Sounding Natural Today | \u5f9e\u4eca\u5929\u958b\u59cb\u8aaa\u81ea\u7136\u82f1\u6587<\/h2>\n\n<p>Collocations are the missing link between vocabulary and fluency. Pick five collocations from this article that match your most common work situations, use each one three times this week in emails or conversation, and notice how much more natural your English starts to feel. Build from there, one chunk at a time. Within months, your colleagues will notice the difference.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sources &amp; Further Reading | \u8cc7\u6599\u4f86\u6e90<\/h2>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Oxford Learner&#8217;s Dictionaries<\/a> \u2014 standard reference for English collocations<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.britishcouncil.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u30d6\u30ea\u30c6\u30a3\u30c3\u30b7\u30e5\u30fb\u30ab\u30a6\u30f3\u30b7\u30eb<\/a> \u2014 free ESL learning resources for adults<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cambridge.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u30b1\u30f3\u30d6\u30ea\u30c3\u30b8\u5927\u5b66\u51fa\u7248\u5c40<\/a> \u2014 collocations in use textbooks and reference materials<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/s?k=oxford+collocations+dictionary\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Oxford Collocations Dictionary (Amazon)<\/a> \u2014 buy the print reference<\/li><\/ul>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Master English collocations to sound natural at work. Practical guide for Taiwan professionals with 30 essential business word pairs, common mistakes, and proven study methods.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5208,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[207,1236,90,504,1029,276,1032,201,633,206,248,1101],"class_list":["post-5214","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article-posts","tag-business-english","tag-english-collocations","tag-english-learning","tag-esl-taiwan","tag-toeic-vocabulary","tag-workplace-english","tag-1032","tag-201","tag-633","tag-206","tag-248","tag-1101"],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":23,"label":"Articles"}],"post_tag":[{"value":207,"label":"Business 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