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Date Posted: 14:03:55 07/10/03 Thu
Author: Adriana Sales Zardini
Subject: Task 10

Explain what a lexical approach is. Describe its main characteristics.

According to Olga Moudraia, the lexical approach concentrates on developing learners' proficiency with lexis, or words and word combinations. It is based on the idea that an important part of language acquisition is the ability to comprehend and produce lexical phrases as unanalyzed wholes, or "chunks," and that these chunks become the raw data by which learners perceive patterns of language traditionally thought of as grammar (Lewis, 1993, p. 95).

The lexical approach makes a distinction between vocabulary—traditionally understood as a stock of individual words with fixed meanings—and lexis, which includes not only the single words but also the word combinations that we store in our mental lexicons. Lexical approach advocates argue that language consists of meaningful chunks that, when combined, produce continuous coherent text, and only a minority of spoken sentences are entirely novel creations.
Some key principles proposed by Michael Lewis:
· Language consists of grammaticalised lexis, not lexicalised grammar.
· The grammar/vocabulary dichotomy is invalid; much language consists of multi-words 'chunks'.
· A central element of language teaching is raising students' awareness of, and developing their ability to 'chunk' language successfully.
· Although structural patterns are known as useful, lexical and metaphorical patterning are accorded appropriate status.
· Collocation is integrated as an organising principle within syllabuses.
· The central metaphor of language is holistic - an organism; not atomistic - a machine.
· It is the co-textual rather than the situational element of context which are of primary importance for language teaching.
· Grammar as a receptive skill, involving the perception of similarity and difference, is prioritised.
· Receptive skills, particularly listening, are given enhanced status.
· The Present-Practise-Produce paradigm is rejected, in favour of a paradigm based on the Observe-Hypothesise-Experiment cycle.

Adriana Sales Zardini
Reference:
Lewis, Michael. Principles and implications of the Lexical Approach. Available:http://www.nspeak.com/lexical.htm Accessed: 07/03/2003.
Moudraia, Olga. Lexical Approach to Second Language Teaching. Available:http://www.cal.org/ericcll/digest/0102lexical.html Accessed: 07/03/2003.

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