1. Vocabulary connections: multi-words items in English
When we talk about vocabulary we just think about single words, but the fact is that
are multi-words lexical items.
There are many different forms of multi word items, and the fields of lexicology and
idiomatology have generated an unruly collection of names for them.
A multiple word item is vocabulary item which consists of a sequence of two or more
words ( a word being simply an orthographic unit). This sequence of words semantically
and/or syntactically forms a meaningful and inseparable unit. Multi word items are the
result of lexical (and semantic) processes of fossilisation and word-formation, rather than
the results of the operation of grammatical rules.
Corpora provide one kind of evidence for multi word items; texts provide another. By
looking at the densities of different kinds of multiple word item in particular text types, it
can be seen that there are often strong genre preferences. For example, idioms are specially
associated with journalism as well as informal conversation. Certain subgenres seem to
attract exceptionally heavy use of idioms.
Multi word items are typically presented as a problem in teaching and learning a
foreign language. Their non-compositionality, whether syntactic, semantic or pragmatic in
nature, means that they must be recognised, learned, decoded and encoded as a holistic
units. The phenomena of multi-words items and idiomaticity are generally held to be
universals in natural languages. The more naturally the MWU (multi words units) are
integrated into the syllabus, the less problematic they are.

2. Various pedagogical techniques for the acquisition of multi words items have been
suggested. One of those techniques is the use of dialogues. Certainly, at more advanced
levels the use of contextualised examples would show up discoursal features.
Another technique mentioned is the one which consists in a classification of the multi-
word items which would foreground correlates and restrictions as well as setting them in a
appropriate sociocultural frames.
A third one is to classify multi word items by according to subject areas, or the speech
acts they encode, as well as making (advanced) learners aware of the range of multiple
word item types and of the differing degrees of transparency and opacity.
Multi words items- extreme collocations- diverge widely in type and characteristics,
and there is not established, fixed set of them. Some multiple word items are very frequent,
and so can be prioritised in second language work; however, even extremely infrequent
items have important roles in real discourse. Corpus and text studies provide a lot of data
about multiple word items, including their stylistics. The most innovative pedagogical
studies highlight and focus on the importance of multiple word items as enabling devices.
Such studies should meet, and lead to a situation where improved information about the
nature and functions of multiple word items will mean that they are understood, taught and
produced more competently and effectively.