Explanation of what lexis is, and how teachers have to present.

1. Lexis: a unit of meaning

2. It refers specifically to:
CollocationsChunks
Combinations of words
Lexical Items(LI)
It also includes
VOCABULARY
 Single words
 Very tightly linked
words
Longer units of
meaning are ruled
by GRAMMAR

3. Lexis in classroom
Using english-english
dictionaries allow them to
learn:
 Typical usage
 Common sentence patterns
 Pronunciation
 Relation with other LIs
Teachers have to consider the
difference between:
 PRODUCTIVE lexis
 RECEPTIVE lexis
A systematic approach should include:
 Meeting new LI
 Practising
 Memorising
 Recall

4. Presentation-Practise Route
Presenting lexis
 LIs have to be
connected:
 to a same place
 by similar grammar
 because of they are used to a
particular action
GENERATIVE TASKS
They allow us to introduce
another LIs
 Stages:
 Presenting them by
 Pictures
 Cues
 Acting out
 Short stories
 Information
 Ilicit the words from sts
 Check they’ve
understood the
LIs(meaning, form, use)

5. How to remember Lis?
 Putting into
storage
 Keeping into
storage
 Retrieving
 Using
To keep an alternative
useful LIs list
 A picture in which sts label things
 Word webs
 Topic webs
 Charts with words collocations
and chunks
 Charts with family words
classified grammatically

6. Presentation-Practise Route
Practising lexis
 Activities that allow sts
become familiar with Lis:
 Discussions
 Dialogues
 Role plays
 Communicative tasks
 Written tasks
 To introduce LIs by
listenings and readings in
order to sts meet language
in realistic contexts.
 Deal with LIs before the skill work:
PRE-TEACHING lexis, e.g. telling them
a related short story.
 Try not to interfere DURING the main
reading task
 AFTER the task, encourage sts:
 To guess the meaning of unknown
words,
 To find words related to the same
topic
 To find synonyms and opposites
listenings readings

7. Knowing a Lexical Item deeply
It goes beyond the basic meaning of it.
It implies:
 Different uses(metaphorical, connotations, restrictions)
 Pronunciation
 Spelling
 Family words
 Collocations(idioms, chunks)
 Situations and context
 Synonyms, homonyms, opposites
 Suffixes and prefixes