A Lexical Chunk Approach To Low-Proficient Learners' Writing

Lexical chunk (LC) has been an increasing concern of many linguists and foreign language teachers in recent years. LC is a synthesis which combines meaning and function by nature. The semi-fixed chunk that combines the features of lexicon and syntax is in a continuum which is from completely free to completely fixed. Hence the typical characteristic of LC is the middle ground. Applied in the field of L2/FL teaching, LC takes in both advantages of the structural approach and the communicative approach: structural approach throws emphasis on language rules and communicative approach prefers language use.Pedagogical implications of LC in L2/FL learning is from a revelation that one phase of children first language acquiring process is LC acquiring. Children are at the early stage of language learning whole process. They are deficient in both vocabulary size and cognitive maturity concerning grammatical rules. With regard to these two aspects, the low-proficient learners in China are quite like them. However, the distinguished difference between the two groups of learners is the attitudes towards English learning. Children do not feel frustrated, while the low-proficient learners feel discouraged because they always fail in expressing themselves. Usual failure makes these learners lose confidence in their abilities, consequently lose interests in English learning. This paper specifies the researching subject, i.e. the low-proficient learner of tertiary school in China. The researching goal is to help these learners achieve accuracy improvement in writing through the LC approach, re-establishing their positive attitudes towards English learning, then improving their self-confidence and motivation. Based on J. Nattinger & J. DeCarrico's lexical phrase and Michael Lewis's lexical approach, this paper analyzes the amount and the frequency of LCs in the unsuccessful learners' compositions, and studies whether LC enhances the accuracy. It discusses by means of theoretical presentation and specific analysis.This paper falls into five chapters. The first chapter starts with a brief introduction of LC. LC is a middle course to overcome the disadvantages of two approaches mentioned above. It proposes that LC helps improve accuracy in thelow-proficient learners' writing.The second chapter lists out various definitions and classifications of LC, aiming at exploring the nature of the chunked phrases. It firstly illustrates that although there are different labels for LC, they share the nature that LC is a synthesis of meaning and function. Then it discusses the definitions of LC from three angles: (1) in a foreign language learning perspective; (2) in a language use perspective; (3) in a psycholinguistic perspective. Finally, it makes a tentative classification which, hopefully, is of pedagogical significance for the low-proficient learner's writing.The third chapter is to examine why an LC approach is appropriate to improve the low-proficient learner's accuracy in writing in three aspects. The first aspect deals with language acquisition. LC that is based on the example and formulaic processing model tries to assist these learners in overcoming two stumbling blocks: lexicon and grammar. The second one is language production. The accessibility of LC contributes greatly to accuracy improvement. The last is re-establishment of positive attitudes towards English learning. Once these learners find that they can express something in English successfully, they are likely to change negative attitudes into positive ones towards English learning. The attitude changing is discussed based on motivation theories: expectancy theory, behavior theory, and attribution theory. In addition, it talks about positive feedback and linguistic confidence.The forth chapter is about the pedagogical application of LC in teaching the low-proficient learner writing. In this research, the LC approach is manipulated during one semester. Borrowing the researching method used by Zhang Jianqin (2004), four categories of numbers are taken down from compositions which are the original data. All these analyses testify that LC does help to improve accuracy in the low-proficient learner's writing.The last chapter summarizes the previous parts and reiterates the significance of LC in improving accuracy while language producing. Additionally it examines areasthat seem important for further research.