The Lexical Approach

Astrid NuñezSamuel Perez

Astrid NuñezSamuel Perez

What is the lexical approach?

WHAT IS LEXICAL APPROACH?

It is a method of teaching foreign languages based on the three following premises:

- Lexis is the basis of language.- Grammatical mastery is not a requirement for effective communication.- Any meaning-centered syllabus should be organized around lexis rather than grammar.

Types of lexisNative speakers have a large inventory of lexical chunks that are vital for fluent production. Chunks include collocations and fixed and semi-fixed expressions and idioms.

Learners are able to:

- comprehend lexical phrases as unanalyzed wholes or chunks.- use whole phrases without understanding their constituent parts.

Native speakers have a large inventory of lexical chunks that are vital for fluent production. Chunks include collocations and fixed and semi-fixed expressions and idioms.

Learners are able to:

- comprehend lexical phrases as unanalyzed wholes or chunks.- use whole phrases without understanding their constituent parts.

TYPES OF LEXIS

Taxonomy of lexical items

Lexical Item Examples

Words Book, pen

Polywords By the way, upside down

Collocations Prices fell, rancid butter

Institutionalized utterances I'll get it; that'll do

Sentence frames and heads That is not as [adjective] as you think;

the danger wasText frames In this paper we will

explore...;Firstly...

Principles1- The basic principle of the lexical approach, then, is: "Language is grammaticalized lexis, not lexicalized grammar" (Lewis 1993).2- Some phrases such as “large theme” sound ugly, but there is nothing intrinsically ugly about either word, it's just a strange combination to a native-speaker ear.

Lexis in language teaching

The language activities consistent with the lexical approach must be directed toward naturally occurring language and toward raising learners' awareness of the lexical nature of language.

Some class activities based on the lexical

approach:- Guessing the meaning of vocabulary items from context.- Noticing and recording language patterns and collocations.- Working with dictionaries and other reference tools.- Working with language corpuses to research word partnerships, preposition usage, style, and so on.

Some class activities based on the lexical approach:

- Intensive and extensive listening and reading in the target language.- First and second language comparisons and translation.- Repetition and recycling of activities to keep words and expressions that have been learned active.

Considerations- Successful language is a wider concept than accurate language.- Language is not learnt by learning individual sounds and structures and then combining them, but by an increasing ability to break down wholes into parts.- Noticing and recording language patterns and collocations.

Considerations- Grammar is acquired by a process of observation, hypothesis and experiment.- Grammar exploration instead of grammar explanation.- Intensive and extensive listening and reading in the target language.- First and second language comparisons and translation—carried out chunk-for-chunk, rather than word-for-word—aimed at raising language awareness.

Considerations- Repetition and recycling of activities.- Guessing the meaning of vocabulary items from context.- The language activities consistent with a lexical approach must be directed toward naturally occurring language and toward raising learners’ awareness of the lexical nature of language.- Working with dictionaries and other reference tools.

Conclusion

The Lexical approach is not really a revolution but an evolution as it tries to develop principles already known by communicative language teachers. The aim of ELT is still the teaching of communicative abilities by focusing on successful language rather than accurate language.

Referenceshttps://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/lexical-approach-1-what-does-lexical-approach-look

http://www.myenglishpages.com/blog/lexical-approach/

https://coerll.utexas.edu/methods/modules/vocabulary/02/lexical.php