This document discusses the lexical approach to language teaching. It focuses on developing learners' proficiency with lexis, or words and word combinations. The key principle is that language consists of grammaticalized lexis rather than lexicalized grammar. Acquisition is based on comprehending and producing lexical phrases or "chunks" as unanalyzed wholes. Examples of lexical units include binomials, trinomials, idioms, similes, and connectives. The lexical approach believes that the lexicon is central to language structure, learning, and use, especially multiword lexical units that are learned and used as single items.

1. UNIVERSIDAD PEDAGÓGICA EXPERIMENTAL LIBERTADOR
INSTITUTO PEDAGÓGICO DE CARACAS
DEPARTAMENTO DE IDIOMAS MODERNOS
PROGRAMA DE INGLÉS
CÁTEDRA DE LINGUISTICA
DIDÁCTICA DEL INGLÉS
Professor:
Nahir Aparicio
Participant:
Pérez, Veruska
Caracas, November 2011

2. The lexical It is based on the These chunks
approach idea that an become the raw
concentrates on important part of data by which
developing language learners perceive
learners' acquisition is the patterns of
proficiency with ability to language
lexis, or words comprehend and traditionally
and word produce lexical thought of as
combinations. phrases as grammar.
unanalyzed
wholes, or
"chunks“.

3. Role of Lexis Lexical Units Lexical Items
• Lexis is the basis of • Binomials: clean and tidy, • Words (pencil, watch)
language. back to front. • Polywords (by the way,
• The key principle of a • Trinomials: cool, calm, upside down)
lexical approach is that collected. • Collocations, or word
"language consists of • Idioms: dead drunk, to run partnerships (community
grammaticalized lexis, up a bill. service, absolutely
not lexicalized grammar." • Similes: as old as the hills. convinced)
• Acquisition is based not • Connectives: finally, to • institutionalized utterances
on the apllication of conclude. (I'll get it; We'll see; That'll
formal rules but on an do; If I were you . . .; Would
• Conversational gambits:
accumulation of you like a cup of coffee?)
guess what!
examples.

4. Lexical approaches in
language teaching reflect a
belief in the centrality of the
lexicon to language
structure, second language
learning, and language use,
and in particular to multiword
lexical units or “chunks” that
learned and used as single
items.