The Role of Formulaic Language in German Proficiency Development: An Analysis of Advanced Learners in Nigeria

This study examines the role of formulaic language, that is, fixed or semi-fixed multiword expressions such as idioms, collocations, and discourse formulae, in the German proficiency development of advanced learners at Nigerian universities, with data drawn from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and the University of Ibadan, South East and South West Nigeria respectively. Formulaic language competence is increasingly recognised as a key differentiator between advanced learners and native speakers, and its development is considered essential for achieving idiomatic fluency. However, the nature and extent of formulaic language knowledge among advanced Nigerian German learners have not been empirically mapped. The study collects written and spoken language samples from 100 advanced German students and analyses these for frequency, variety, and accuracy of formulaic expression use. A supplementary test of formulaic knowledge is also administered. Findings reveal that advanced Nigerian learners demonstrate limited formulaic repertoires relative to expected proficiency benchmarks, particularly in spoken discourse. The most frequently used formulaic expressions are drawn from a narrow range of high-frequency social routines, while more complex argumentative and academic formulaic sequences are largely absent. The study recommends the systematic teaching of formulaic language as a discrete instructional goal and the development of corpus-based formulaic language resources for Nigerian German learners. Keywords: formulaic language, German proficiency, advanced learners, Nigeria, collocations.