Scribd
Upload
13 views

Understanding the Lexical Approach in Language Teaching

The Lexical Approach, developed by Michael Lewis, emphasizes vocabulary and lexical chunks over traditional grammar-based teaching, arguing that fluency is achieved through the use of fixed word combinations. Key principles include focusing on collocations, promoting natural speech through chunking, and using authentic materials for exposure. While it offers advantages like improved fluency and listening comprehension, challenges include the lack of a clear syllabus and difficulties in assessment.

Uploaded by

childingmoon
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
13 views

Understanding the Lexical Approach in Language Teaching

The Lexical Approach, developed by Michael Lewis, emphasizes vocabulary and lexical chunks over traditional grammar-based teaching, arguing that fluency is achieved through the use of fixed word combinations. Key principles include focusing on collocations, promoting natural speech through chunking, and using authentic materials for exposure. While it offers advantages like improved fluency and listening comprehension, challenges include the lack of a clear syllabus and difficulties in assessment.

Uploaded by

childingmoon
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 3

Understanding the Lexical Approach in Language Teaching

Introduction

The Lexical Approach, developed by Michael Lewis in the 1990s, challenges traditional grammar-
based language teaching by emphasizing vocabulary and lexical chunks as the foundation of
language learning. Unlike traditional approaches that prioritize grammatical rules and isolated
words, the Lexical Approach argues that fluency is built through recognizing and using fixed
word combinations, collocations, and multi-word units rather than through the mastery of
individual words and grammar structures.

Theoretical Framework

The Lexical Approach is grounded in several key linguistic and cognitive theories:
1. Firth’s Contextual Theory of Meaning (1957):
British linguist John Firth proposed that words should be understood based on their habitual co-
occurrence with other words (collocations) rather than in isolation. His famous phrase, “You shall
know a word by the company it keeps,” underscores the importance of lexical chunks.
2. Sinclair’s Idiom Principle (1991):
John Sinclair distinguished between two ways language is used—“open-choice principle” (where
words are combined freely) and “idiom principle” (where words often appear in pre-determined
patterns). The Lexical Approach aligns with the idiom principle, emphasizing how learners
acquire meaning through predictable lexical patterns.
3. Usage-Based Theories of Language Acquisition (Tomasello, 2003):
Michael Tomasello and other cognitive linguists argue that language acquisition is based on
pattern recognition and frequency of exposure. Learners develop linguistic competence by being
exposed to and internalizing frequently occurring word sequences.
4. Chunking in Cognitive Psychology (Miller, 1956):
George Miller’s research on memory showed that people process information more efficiently
when it is grouped into meaningful chunks. This principle supports the Lexical Approach’s claim
that learning in chunks facilitates faster and more natural language use.

Key Principles of the Lexical Approach


1. Language is made up of chunks:
Instead of focusing on single words, language learners should acquire collocations (e.g., “strong
coffee,” not “powerful coffee”), idioms (e.g., “a blessing in disguise”), and formulaic expressions
(e.g., “Nice to meet you”).
2. Fluency comes from chunking, not grammar mastery:
Learning lexical phrases helps learners speak more naturally, reducing the need to construct
sentences from scratch.
3. Exposure and noticing are key:
Learners should be exposed to authentic language and guided to notice how words are
commonly combined.
4. Grammar emerges from vocabulary:
Instead of learning grammar rules first, students should learn grammatical patterns through
frequent exposure to lexical items in context.

Implementation in the Classroom


1. Teaching Collocations:
Instead of just teaching “make” and “do” separately, teachers should present them in fixed
expressions (e.g., “make a mistake” vs. “do homework”).
2. Using Authentic Texts:
Real-world materials (news articles, conversations, literature) help students see how words
naturally occur together.
3. Encouraging Repetition and Recycling:
Revisiting key phrases in different contexts strengthens retention.
4. Activities like Lexical Awareness Tasks:
• Noticing Exercises: Highlighting collocations in texts.
• Gap-Fill Exercises: Completing sentences with appropriate lexical phrases.
• Chunking Drills: Practicing sentence-building with fixed expressions.
• Dialogues and Roleplays: Encouraging students to use chunks in realistic
communication.

Advantages of the Lexical Approach


• Promotes natural fluency by encouraging students to speak in larger chunks rather
than constructing sentences word by word.
• Improves listening comprehension as learners recognize common word groupings
more easily.
• Bridges the gap between learning and real-world use by teaching the language in the
way native speakers actually use it.

⸻
Challenges and Criticism
• Lack of clear syllabus structure:
Unlike grammar-based approaches, there is no fixed sequence for teaching lexical chunks.
• Difficult assessment:
Progress is harder to measure compared to traditional grammar tests.
• Dependency on exposure:
Learners need extensive interaction with authentic language to acquire a broad range of lexical
chunks.

Conclusion

The Lexical Approach shifts the focus from grammar-first teaching to a vocabulary-rich learning
environment. By prioritizing lexical chunks, collocations, and real-world exposure, this approach
helps learners develop more natural, fluent speech. While it may pose challenges in syllabus
design and assessment, its emphasis on authentic language use makes it a valuable addition to
modern English language teaching methodologies.

Let me know if you’d like it in a downloadable format like Word or PDF!

You might also like