Formulaic sequences are more or less fixed word combinations such as idioms, collocations, lexical bundles, and phrasal verbs. This title draws together diverse international work on formulaic language such as idioms, collocations, lexical bundles and phrasal verbs.

1. Introduction: The contribution of formulaic language to fundamental debates in linguistics, Weinert, R. (University of Sheffield, UK); Part 1: Formulaic Language in Acquisition and Pedagogy; 2 Acquisition of academic adjective-noun collocations, Schmitt, N., and Li, J. (University of Nottingham, UK); 3. Idiomatic speech: The effect of task variation and target language in the use of formulaic sequences by L2 users of French and Spanish Forsberg, F. (Stockholm University, Sweden); 4. Effectiveness of Text Memorization in EFL Learning of Chinese Students, Dai, Z., and Ding, Y. (Nanjing University, China); 5. Lexical bundles in an EAP corpus, Wood, D. (Carleton University, USA); 6. Lexical bundles in introductory electrical engineering textbooks and ESP materials, Chen, L. (Carleton University, USA); Part 2: Identification and Psycholinguistic Processing of Formulaic Language; 7. Formulaicity in Code-Switching: criteria for identifying formulaic sequences, Kazuhiko, N.; 8. Lexical bundles and working memory: an ERP study, Tremblay, A. (University of Alberta, Canada); 9. Phonological aspects of the identification and the psycholinguistic processing of formulaic sequences, Lin, P. (University of Nottingham); 10. On the comparative processing of different PLI structures - an eyetracking study, Columbus, G. (University of Alberta, Canada); Part 3: Communicative Functions of Formulaic Language; 11. Linguistic survey of marriage vows in the framework of critical discourse analysis, Arakelyan, S. (Eurasia University, Armenia); 12. A text in speech's clothing: Discovering specific functions of formulaic expressions in Beowulf and blogs, Garley, M., Slade, B. and Terkourafi, M. (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA); 13. Semantic behavior of Arabic idioms, Abdou, A. (University of Manchester, UK); 14. Formulaicity and translation: a cross-corpora analysis of English formulaic binomials and their Italian translations, Giammarresi, S. (University of Palermo, Italy).

"The new millennium has seen an explosion of usage-based studies showing that formulaic language and constructions are the rule rather than the exception. This volume is an important contribution to this growing field of research, directing the reader, as it does, to an abundance of new prefabricated patterns and sequences of different degrees of generality, from abstract schemas over frames to (semi)fixed sequences, and in a wide range of applicational studies including memorization and processing, developmental L2 learning and textbook design."

Features empirical research alongside theory and teaching practices -- will help readers to understand the pervasive and critical role that formulaic language plays in all aspects of language acquisition and use.