Lexical approach

The Lexical Approach - How to learn foreign languages efficientlyThe Lexical Approach - How to learn foreign languages efficiently - Notes

The lexical approach is an influential method in language teaching and understanding, and it has its roots in linguistics and psychology. Let’s delve into its origins and its relevance to second language acquisition (SLA).

Origins of the Lexical Approach:

1. Collocation Analysis: One of the earliest developments that contributed to the lexical approach was the analysis of collocations. In the 1960s and 1970s, researchers began using corpora (large collections of texts) to study how words often appeared together. This data-driven analysis of language emphasized that vocabulary items were not used in isolation, but rather in predictable combinations.

2. Psycholinguistic Research: Parallel to developments in corpus linguistics, psycholinguists were discovering that language users process and produce multi-word units as wholes, rather than always constructing sentences word-by-word. This suggested that chunks or phrases, and not just individual words, were fundamental building blocks in language competence.

3. Shift from Grammar to Vocabulary: In the late 20th century, there was a shift in language teaching from a predominantly grammar-based approach to a more balanced focus that included vocabulary. This was in part due to the recognition that knowing a lot of grammar with little vocabulary limits communicative ability, whereas having a rich vocabulary with limited grammar still allows for meaningful communication.

4. Michael Lewis’s Contribution: The term “lexical approach” was popularized by Michael Lewis in the 1990s. He emphasized the significance of lexical chunks (e.g., “by the way”, “all of a sudden”) as essential components of proficient language use. He proposed that these chunks should be at the center of language teaching.

Relevance to Second Language Acquisition:

1. Vocabulary Acquisition: Vocabulary is foundational for communication. The lexical approach emphasizes the importance of acquiring not just individual words, but also the common combinations in which they appear. This aligns with how many people naturally acquire languages – by picking up chunks of language they frequently hear.

2. Authenticity in Communication: By focusing on how language is actually used (through analysis of corpora), the lexical approach prepares learners to understand and produce language in authentic, real-world contexts.

3. Cognitive Load: Recognizing and using chunks reduces cognitive load. Instead of processing every single word and its syntactic relations, learners can process larger units of meaning, making comprehension and production more fluent.

4. Grammar Understanding: While the lexical approach emphasizes vocabulary, it doesn’t negate grammar. Instead, it offers a different perspective: many grammatical structures can be understood as predictable patterns within fixed phrases. For example, the phrase “if I were you” introduces learners to the subjunctive mood in English in a natural context.

5. Facilitating Fluency: Being familiar with lexical chunks can significantly improve fluency, as learners don’t have to construct every sentence from scratch. They have a repository of pre-constructed phrases to draw from.

6. Addressing Idiomatic Usage: Languages are full of idiomatic expressions that aren’t easily understood by just knowing the meanings of individual words. The lexical approach, by emphasizing chunks and common combinations, can help learners navigate these idiomatic waters.

In conclusion, the lexical approach originated from both empirical research on actual language use and psycholinguistic insights into how language is processed. Its relevance to SLA lies in its potential to make language learning more authentic, efficient, and reflective of real-world language use.