The Effect Of Lexical Chunk Instruction On Increasing Students' English Vocabulary Size In Junior Middle Schools And Its Implication On English Vocabulary Teaching

Vocabulary is an important component of human language and plays a critical role in the process of language learning. Large amounts of vocabulary are necessary in every stage of language learning. Without good command of vocabulary language learners can't improve any of the skills (listening, speaking, reading, writing and translating) to a great extent. A solid vocabulary can enable learners to use the language effectively and efficiently. However, for a long time, vocabulary teaching wasn't given due attention and was separated with grammar teaching as its accessory. With the development of corpus linguistics in the 1980s, people have a new insight into vocabulary teaching. Researchers found that there existed large quantities of fixed or semi-fixed expressions (i.e. lexical chunks) that have the features of syntax in English natural speech. They are stored, retrieved and used as a whole. Around 90% of the everyday conversation is made up of such prefabricated chunks (Yang Yuchen, 1999). Becker (1975) is one the earliest who put forward the notion of prefabricated phrases. There are about 57 terms for these expressions that show the importance and the complexity of them (Pu Jianzhong, 2005). Michael Lewis (1993) pointed out, "Language consists of grammatical lexis, not lexical grammar." The existence of these prefabricated expressions or lexical chunks can speed up the language processing and has the great significance in fostering not only language acquisition but also in easy, fluent and idiomatic language output.In recent years, roles of lexical chunk instruction in English teaching have gained linguists' and language teaching experts' wide attention. Researchers find lexical chunk instruction can lessen students' burden and make students master vocabulary effectively. But most of the studies on lexical chunk instruction remain on the level of theoretical discussion and many practical problems are to be explored. The studies are mostly about college or university English teaching, some are about senior middle school English teaching and few are about junior middle school English teaching. By means of the lexical chunk experiment on one class of Grade 8 in Xing Fu Middle School in Anyang in Henan, this thesis aims to explore the effect of lexical chunk instruction in increasing students' English vocabulary size in junior middle schools and its implication on English teaching. But lexical chunk instruction will not take the place of lexical approach but the center of it. About three months' lexical chunk teaching experiment proves that the lexical chunk instruction in junior middle schools can help increase students' English vocabulary size a lot and can foster the development of lexical chunk awareness.The study in this thesis was based on the theory of constructivism, language learning theory, memorizing rules, Krashen's Monitor theory and cognitive theory.The thesis includes five chapters. In Chapter One, background of theresearch, brief introduction of lexical chunk instruction, purpose of theresearch and significance of the research are stated. Chapter Two is literaturereview in which it reviews the development of related research on lexicalchunk instruction home and abroad. It also introduces the definitions, featuresand classifications of lexical chunks and emphasizes the importance of lexicalchunks in language acquisition. At last it points out the theory basis of thethesis. Chapter Three expounds the hypothesis, subjects, data collectioninstruments, design, procedures of the research. Chapter Four is results anddiscussions of the experiment. Chapter Five is implications and suggestions ofthe research for English vocabulary teaching. Some conclusion is also drawnin it. Then follow appendixes and bibliography.