An Empirical Study On College English Learners' Chunk Using

The importance of chunks is recognized by more and more researchers nowadays. Chunks are extracted and processed as a whole, which speeds language processing significantly. It helps language production and supports social interaction. It also has great influence on creative language production.Although many linguists propose that using language chunks can make great contribution to English learning, especially L2 learning, few empirical studies have been undertaken to examine chunk-using effect, especially for college English learners. Compared with lots of theoretical study of chunk, there is an urgent need for empirical practice.Therefore, this survey is conducted to investigate chunk using in an empirical way. It probes into the relationship between chunk using and creative language production through comparison between students' scores of multiple-choice chunk test and their scores in writing. The chunk-test scores are also used to be compared with their discrete language skills like writing, reading and listening to probe the possible relationship.The paper tries to prove the following hypothesis in the previous theoretical studies:1. There exists correlation between chunk using and creative language production.2. Chunk competence has correlation with discrete language skills such as listening, reading and writing.The subjects of this survey consist of one hundred and four second-year non-English majors from three natural classes of Shaanxi Normal University. The three classes are randomly selected from different departments. Among them, there are 73 female students and 30 male students. Their ages range from 19 to 21 with the average 20. 5.All these subjects use exclusively Mandarin Chinese as their mother tongue. Before recruited into this university, they had learned English for at least six years in junior and senior middle school. After chosen by college entrance examination, they have received similar formal college English training. Undergoing similar studying experience under the same teaching system, they can be regarded as representatives of college English learners. So this study is possible to depict a comprehensive picture of college English learners' chunk using.Based on our data analysis, we come to the following conclusions:1. Chunk using of college English learner is far from satisfactory. For 30-item multiple-choice chunk test, the minimum score is only 4, and the maximum 15. The mean is only 9.28. And by SPSS analysis, there is no correlation between testees' chunk test achievements and their confidenee scores, which shows the testees' weakness of fundamental chunk knowledge. Besides, the testees' chunk using in composition is also an indicator of this.2. Chunk using showed in chunk test is positively correlated with creative language production showed in writing. People perform better in chunk test are prone to achieve higher scores in writing.3. Chunk using showed in chunk test is positively correlated with CET-4 scores and four language skills----reading, listening and writing in CET-4. This means the students who could use chunks better are prone to achieve higher scores in language test and discrete language skill test.4. Chunks need great attention in college English teaching. There are many, possible ways to teach chunks in college English classes. College English learners need to have adequate and authentic input of chunk using. Their autonomous learning habit need to be effectively trained for future development.The present research calls for effective measures in chunk instruction, which has great potential to promote learners' language proficiency. It is urgent to transfer college English learners' habit in vocabulary learning and it is necessary for college English teachers to make great effort to help students with their chunk learning.