Free English Language Dissertations - As With Matters The Same Language Is Used In Several Formats A Listening And
As with Matters the same language is used in several formats a listening and a reading activity.
It is worth nothing that both texts recognise how age and culture affects the contexts of a lexicon. Matters warns that:
‘ In multinational classes, be careful: not all countries have the same level of sympathy for and awareness of environmental issues and scientific jargon’ (Bell & Gower, 1998, Introduction).
They acknowledge that, as Bowerman (1978) states, ‘Lexical rules are language and culture specific.’ (cited in Larsen-Freeman & Long, 1991). However, both programs aim to move a student away from lexical over-generalisations (Backhouse, 1994) and increase depth of knowledge and breadth of vocabulary.Backhouse (1994) relates lexical development to intra and extra lingual processes ie the semantic relations which hold between lexical items in a given language. (p.19) and the paradigmatic relations or the specific fields that define meaning within that context. Assessment of student understanding looks at how individuals develop vocabulary around a subject area through discussion, class response and exercises.
In essence, it appears that both texts use a ‘field theory’ approach that allows for lexical compartmentalisation and a hyponomic (see McCarthy, 1990, p19) focus on developing associated meanings (Carter & McCarthy, 1988).However, they do not limit themselves to associating specific vocabularly within specific fields.
Lexical phrases or ‘language chunks’ are like prefrabricated building units. (Lewis, cited in Harmer, 2001, p.21)
Part 2. How effective is the treatment of lexis in the two chosen units for a group of learners with whom you are familiar? What changes would you make in using these units with the learners you have identified?
Class Profile
This class consists of seventeen males and five females, all L1 Arabic speakers. They come from six countries throughout the Middle East and North Africa.It is an intermediate level class. 30% are students, 40% are supervisory/managerial levels of employees in Government departments or from private businesses. 20% are self-employed private businessmen and the remaining 10% are homemakers. The age range is 20-58 years. They are currently about half way through a twenty week English course.
Whilst the treatment of lexis in the two chosen units is efficient and effective, it does benefit from some individual tailoring towards the above class. For example with some of the students I would perhaps encourage a move towards a more self directed learning plan (Pemberton et al, 2001). Others need more scaffolding. I have also tried to cater for learning styles so that a variety of exercises are supported by a variety of materials and presented in more than one way. I have not simply repeated specifics, but changed the way they are communicated.
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