KURS ISHI

INTRODUCTION The mastery of grammatical meaning is increasingly recognized as a cornerstone for effective communication in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts, particularly within Uzbekistan’s rapidly expanding engagement with the global economy. According to the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovations, the number of students pursuing English language education in higher institutions across Uzbekistan has increased by 18% from 2022 to 2023, reaching over 120,000 individuals [1]. Furthermore, English language proficiency is a critical enabler for participation in international trade, which, according to the State Statistics Agency (2023), saw Uzbekistan's foreign trade turnover reach $60.9 billion in 2023, an increase of 25.4% compared to 2022 [2]. Despite significant investments in language education, a persistent challenge remains in learners' ability to accurately convey and interpret grammatical meanings, which often leads to miscommunication and hinders academic and professional progress. While lexical meaning is often acquired relatively quickly, the nuanced understanding and application of grammatical meaning – encompassing elements like tense, aspect, modality, and argument structure – frequently pose a significant barrier [3]. Unresolved problems include the optimal pedagogical approaches for teaching these complex concepts, particularly given the distinct typological differences between Uzbek and English, and the development of effective assessment tools that move beyond surface-level grammatical correctness to evaluate the true comprehension and production of grammatical meaning [4]. Internationally, the study of grammatical meaning has been approached from various theoretical perspectives. Leonard Talmy (2000) demonstrated in his seminal work that grammatical structures inherently encode specific conceptual categories, such as aspect, force dynamics, and manner, highlighting their role in shaping thought and expression [5]. Ronald Langacker (1987) proposed a framework within Cognitive Grammar, illustrating how grammatical constructions are essentially symbolic units that directly link form and meaning, arguing that meaning is inherently entrenched in usage events and can be highly subjective [6]. Adele Goldberg (1995) developed Construction Grammar, asserting that constructions themselves, rather than individual words, are ...