Contrastive Analysis of Formulaic Expressions and Its Implication for Teaching English to the IRI Police Officers

One of the main sources of second/foreign (L) language knowledge is the use of Formulaic Expressions (FEs). These expressions, however, might be produced as a result of loan translation, and thus may impede language learning. This study, therefore, is to explore the use of FEs among Iranian police officers as language learners to identify how they might enter FEs from L into L through a contrastive analysis approach. The study sample included participants selected through available sampling and interview. Data were collected through recording role-plays and interviews. The study findings showed that, although Iranian police officers as ESP learners used a variety of FEs, they translated them from L to L as a negative transfer. The study, then, suggests that language teachers apply noticing awareness techniques in teaching Fes, and pay more attention to the pragmatic function of the FEs.