Application Of Lexical Approach In College English Writing Instruction

This study explored, within the theory of lexical chunks and the teaching principles of lexical approach, the effect of lexical approach on Chinese college students’writing ability. The effect of lexical approach on the writing performance of students at different writing level was also examined.80freshmen from Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, participated in the experiment. They were randomly divided into two groups:an experimental group (N=40) and a control group (N=40). The two groups were in the same level of writing proficiency. A lexical chunks instruction was designed and conducted on the experimental group, based on the teaching principles of lexical approach proposed by Lewis (1993). A series of training activities were then prepared by the researcher based on the chunks awareness-raising activities produced by Carlos Islam, et al (2003), which served as guidelines to conduct the instruction in normal classroom sessions. The training lasted for14weeks, during which two writing tests, a questionnaire and an interview were conducted. The results from both groups were gathered and analyzed to demonstrate whether any changes would exist between the two groups. The statistic results were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively.The results showed that lexical approach improved the experimental group’s writing ability. The experimental group significantly outperformed the control group in the post-test. The improvement of the experimental group’s writing ability was achieved because of the training, which raised the students’ awareness of chunks and increased their use of lexical chunks in writing. The study also found that lexical approach enhanced the experimental group’s use of lexical chunks. The students in the experimental group exhibited higher frequency of lexical chunks use. As for the effects of lexical approach on the writing performance of the three sub-level groups, it was found that the middle-level group benefited more from lexical approach than the other two sub-groups in terms of writing performance, lexical chunks use and writing confidence.These results suggest that lexical approach has a facilitative effect on Chinese college students’writing ability and their use of lexical chunks. The use of lexical chunks contributes to the fluency, idiomaticity and coherence in the students’ writing. Lexical approach has different impacts on the writing performance of students at different writing proficiency. The lexical approach could also increase the subjects’ confidence in writing. In a word, lexical approach is feasible and effective in improving students’writing competence.