A Study On The Use Of Lexical Chunks In College English Writing

Through the statistic analysis in computer, some linguists find that English language communication is not mainly achieved by grammar and lexicon, but by the semi-fixed chunks between grammar and lexicon. Chunks constitute 90% of language communication. They are stored in the brain as a whole and can be retrieved immediately without generation and analysis. The mastery of lexical chunks has direct impact on English proficiency. The appropriate application of lexical chunks in English writing can make a fluent and well-organized essay with pure and vivid language expression.This paper is based on the theory of lexical chunks given by Nattinger & DeCarrico (1992), and 30 compositions of two classes in Shandong Normal University are analyzed. The characteristics of using lexical chunks in English writing are discussed, including the frequency of lexical chunks used by the higher and lower groups, and the different use of lexical chunks with the same functions. In addition, questionnaires are used to learn about the awareness of learning and using lexical chunks of the college students in daily English study, especially in writing. All of these provide some reference to English teaching and learning.It is found that the frequency of using lexical chunks in the higher group is largely higher than that in the lower group. Students in the higher group can use various chunks to express a specific function. And they can use more lexical chunks to backup the function, so they can write out more fluent and persuasive compositions. While compared with the former, students in the lower group often overuse some high-frequency chunks monotonously, and their compositions are deficient in the aspect of fluency and persuasion. All of these indicate that students in the higher group have a good command of lexical chunks, while students in the lower group can not use chunks flexibly. Besides, it can be learned through the questionnaires that although most students can pay attention to lexical chunks in English study generally, the study to lexical chunks is only restricted in text study. In other words, their awareness of learning lexical chunks has not yet been built up. Furthermore, their awareness of using lexical chunks is also underdeveloped.So, lexical chunks should be taken into more account in English teaching and learning, especially in the field of English writing. The key point of chunks teaching lies in cultivating students'autonomic learning. Teachers should strengthen and cultivate the awareness of lexical chunks and provide students with specific contexts to practice. Moreover, students are also encouraged to memorize lexical chunks in various ways, such as reciting and writing. Furthermore, English writing, especially long essays are inspired and strengthened to carry out, so that the lexical chunks learned before can be utilized well.