A Contrastive Study on the Use of Lexical Chunk Among Chinese Learners of Different Proficiency Levels

Zonghui HE

Abstract


This study examines the juniors’ and sophomores’ writings with the same prompt, attempting to investigate the general pictures of their lexical chunk (“lexical chunk” is abbreviated to LC) use and the main features of using LC categories. The study shows the following results: (a) Juniors generally have higher frequency of using LC, especially in using 4 LC categories: topic-related LC (TRLC), sentence-building LC (SBLC), general LC (GLC) and opinion-presented LC (OPLC), except discourse LC (DLC). (b) In terms of using LC categories, juniors show a better proficiency of SBLC noticeably, which is revealed by their better-structured sentences, rich diversity of SBLC and more native-like sentence logic. (c) Juniors and sophomores show similarity in using TRLC in that their choices of topic-related lexical phrases are both extremely influenced by writing prompt. (d) Juniors employ less DLC than sophomores because juniors attach more importance to the idea, opinion and proof, while sophomores rely more on the signal words of passage due to the purpose of gaining scores and using DLC as facilitators to make the whole passage coherent. (e) Juniors use OPLC more frequently and diversely, while sophomores overuse a certain OPLC.


Keywords


Lexical chunk; Lexical chunk category; English major; Writing

Full Text:

PDF

References


Bolinger, D. (1975). Aspects of language. New York, NY: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.

Coady, J., & Huckin, T. (2003). Second language vocabulary acquisition. Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Press.

Dong, Y., & Ke, Y. G. (2011). Longitudinal study on lexical phrases use by Chinese learners based on corpus. Journal of Huaibei Normal University, 4, 144-147.

Hsu, J. (2002). Development of collocational proficiency in a workshop on English for general business purposes for Taiwanese college students (China) (Unpublished Ph. D. dissertation). Indiana University of Pennsylvania [ProQuest Dissertation Abstracts Database].

Ketko, H. (2000). A comparative study in the use of multi-word chunks between English native speakers and Japanese learners of English (Unpublished Ph. MSc. dissertation). Aston University, Language Studies Unit.

Lewis, M. (1993). The lexical approach. Hover England: Language Teaching Publications.

Li, H. Y. (2004). The importance of lexical phrases production in vocabulary drills. Foreign Languages Teaching Abroad, 1, 57-62.

Li, J., & Schmitt, N. (2009). The acquisition of lexical phrases in academic writing: A longitudinal case study. Journal of Second Language Writing, 18, 85-102.

Liu, J. Y. (2006). Lexical chunks and college English teaching. Shandong Foreign Language Teaching, 4, 88-90.

Luo, F. W., Liang, X. L., & Lu, X. Y. (2002). Language output improved through teaching by “chunks”. Shandong Foreign Languages Journal, 6, 31-34.

Nattinger, J., & DeCarrico, S. (2000). Lexical phrases and language teaching. Shanghai, China: Shanghai Foreign Language Press.

Newell, A. (1990). Unified theories of cognition. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Richards, J., & Rodgers, T. S. (2001). Approaches and methods in language teaching: A description and analysis. New York, NY: CUP.

Singleton, D. (1999). Exploring the second language mental lexicons. Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press.

Wood. D. (2002). Formulaic language in acquisition and production: Implications for teaching. TESL Canada Journal, 20(1), 1-15.

Yang, Y. Y. (2015). A comparative study on the use of vocabulary and lexical bundles in writing between American and Chinese college students. Foreign Language World, 3, 51-58.

Yang, Y. Y. (2014). The vocabulary development and lexical bundles use by English majors in writing. Foreign Language World, 2, 58-66.

Yao, B. L. (2004). Prefabricated language chunks and oral English teaching in secondary schools. Curriculum, Teaching Material and Method, 4, 33-38.

Zhang, J. Q. (2004). A comparative study on the use of lexical phrases by advanced, intermediate and beginning foreign language learners in China. Foreign Language World, 1, 10-14.

Zhang, X. (2010). The use of lexical phrases by Chinese advanced English learner based on corpus. Foreign Language World, 5, 48-57.




DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3968/8216

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2016 Studies in Literature and Language



Share us to:   

 

Online Submission: http://cscanada.org/index.php/sll/submission/wizard


Reminder

How to do online submission to another Journal?

If you have already registered in Journal A, then how can you submit another article to Journal B? It takes two steps to make it happen:

1. Register yourself in Journal B as an Author

Find the journal you want to submit to in CATEGORIES, click on “VIEW JOURNAL”, “Online Submissions”, “GO TO LOGIN” and “Edit My Profile”. Check “Author” on the “Edit Profile” page, then “Save”.

2. Submission

Go to “User Home”, and click on “Author” under the name of Journal B. You may start a New Submission by clicking on “CLICK HERE”.


We only use three mailboxes as follows to deal with issues about paper acceptance, payment and submission of electronic versions of our journals to databases: caooc@hotmail.com; sll@cscanada.net; sll@cscanada.org

 Articles published in Studies in Literature and Language are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC-BY).

 STUDIES IN LITERATURE AND LANGUAGE Editorial Office

Address: 1055 Rue Lucien-L'Allier, Unit #772, Montreal, QC H3G 3C4, Canada.
Telephone: 1-514-558 6138 
Website: Http://www.cscanada.net; Http://www.cscanada.org 
E-mail: office@cscanada.net; office@cscanada.org; caooc@hotmail.com

Copyright © 2010 Canadian Academy of Oriental and Occidental Culture