Effects Of Semi-fixed Chunk Teaching On English Writing

Traditional vocabulary teaching has been emphasizing the learning of single orthographic words all the time, oblivious of the context and pragmatics. Such an approach stresses that language production is based on the generation of word by word through grammatical rules. However, recently a large number of linguistic researchers have realized that language production is more a process of retrieving phrasal units from memory than a process of being controlled by grammatical rules, which means that English communication is not merely dependent on grammar and words to construct sentences and text. Corpus research indicates that most natural utterances consist of units larger than single orthographic words, which integrate the features of lexicon and syntax and which we refer to as semi-fixed chunks.Semi-fixed chunk teaching emphasizes students' need to perceive and use patterns of lexis and collocation; language production is not a grammatical rule-governed process but is the retrieval of larger phrasal units from memory. This approach challenges the traditional view of word boundary, whose fundamental principle is that language consists of grammaticalized lexis rather than lexicalized grammar.Semi-fixed chunk plays an important role in vocabulary and grammar acquisition. Since it relates to the semantics, syntax and pragmatics of its composite with each other, it is regarded as the principal access to internalizing and building up grammatical rules for language learners: by segmenting chunks, learners might learn new lexis and grammar, thus developing their vocabulary knowledge profoundly and extensively. Furthermore, in light of the essential nature of semi-fixed chunk, it can be remembered and retrieved as a unit, which reduces the burden of language process and output, and makes communication more fluently, conveniently and effectively.Though more and more linguists have attached importance to the role of chunks in vocabulary teaching, they have studied chunks mostly from a theoretical perspective but have done little empirical research into this respect, especially on Chinese students' English writing. Therefore, based on the memory theory, constructivism and the adaptation theory, we conducted an experiment which involved freshmen majoring in English from the two natural classes of an independent college of Central South University of Forestry and Technology, with a view to exploring the following questions:(1) Can semi-fixed chunk teaching raise students' awareness of semi-fixed chunks?(2) Can semi-fixed chunk teaching have some positive effects on the accuracy of English writing?(3) Can semi-fixed chunk teaching have some positive effects on idiomaticalness of English writing?We divided these two natural classes into an experimental group and a control group. We conducted semi-fixed chunk teaching in the experimental group, while applied the traditional approach in the other group. This experiment lasted for 12 weeks. At the very beginning, a questionnaire was administered to investigate the subjects' vocabulary learning strategies, consciousness of chunks and difficulties in English learning. Compositions written by the subjects before and after the experiment respectively were analyzed by means of SPSS14.0,Results of the experiment showed that the experimental group had significant improvements in semi-fixed chunk awareness, the accuracy and idiomaticalness of English writing. Meanwhile, the control group made progress in the accuracy of their writing, but compared with the experimental group they did poorly and changed little in their awareness of semi-fixed chunks and the idiomaticalness of English writing.The significance of this thesis lies in: 1) Using the term of semi-fixed chunks to describe a ubiquitous language phenomenon; 2) Applying the adaptation theory to study the implication of semi-fixed chunk; 3) Involving Chinese students of English in an empirical research and exploring the effect of semi-fixed chunk on their English writings.Admittedly, this experiment has its limitations. For example, it involved limited population and time; the subjects were not selected randomly; because the compositions were not marked by computer, we could not assure ourselves that the marks the subjects got were absolutely fair. But we hope that the present research will be of help to the English vocabulary teaching in China.