Unit 12 Lexis

Commentary

The three worksheets on the previous screen were all effective in clarifying the meaning of
the future forms. Although they were different types of task, they were all useful for several
reasons:

 They allow the students to discover the meaning for themselves

 They are graded to the students’ level so they are achievable tasks
 They allow students to work together in pairs or small groups rather than the teacher
having to direct the language focus stage.

As you saw, there are different types of tasks that we can create to help guide students.
Possibilities for adapting language boxes into activities for students to work out the meaning
include:

 Choosing the correct answer/ Deleting the wrong answer

 Matching the example sentence with the meaning
 Filling in gaps
 Answering concept questions.

Grammar vs. Lexis

Nick did not learn Turkish by simply studying the grammar. He learnt it by looking at and
noticing the lexis.

Grammar can be described as the nuts and bolts of the language whereas lexis carries
meaning. For example, the following sentence is the first sentence of this screen but with the
grammar removed.

Nick not learn Turkish simply study grammar

Even without the grammar, the reader can understand the basic message. This shows the
importance of not simply concentrating on grammar. Lexis helps us communicate no matter
how inaccurately we do so.

Commentary

The second set of sentences is easier to unjumble because they are all common phrases or
expressions. Therefore, these expressions are easier to remember as they are stored in the
brain as relatively fixed chunks of language.

Fixed and Semi-fixed Expressions

The sentences which were easier to unjumble are referred to as phrases or expressions. This
category can be divided into expressions which are fully fixed and those that are semi-fixed.
The difference here is that in a semi-fixed expression, certain parts of the expression can be
filled in a limited number of ways. Look at the examples below.

Fixed expressions Semi-fixed expressions

me the water,
Could you pass the salt, please?
the pepper,

Good morning. for ages

Happy New Year! I haven’t seen you for so long
By the way, ……. since school
I can’t take anymore!

like
love
What I about xxxx is…
hate
loathe

The first category shows expressions which are fixed and unchanging, and they can be
learnt as such.

The second category is bigger. These expressions are more flexible and, as can be seen
in the example below, affected by time and tense.

It’s not
That’s not
your fault
That wasn’t
It’ll be

Rsponding to Errors

As was discussed in the previous tasks, lexis can be categorised into four types: single words,
collocations, semi-fixed expressions and fixed expressions including idioms.

Celia’s class

 1. Why did you choose to introduce your language from a text?

 a. The text provided a clear context for the language.


 b. The students enjoy reading.

 a.



 2. Why did you focus on the language in phrases and not just focus on the verbs?

 a. It is a good idea to focus on more than just individual words because that is how we
use them in
 real life.


 b. It is easier for students to remember the language in chunks.

 a.



 3. Why did you deal with meaning first?

 a. Because meaning is more interesting for students.


 b. Because if students do not understand what something means they do not gain
anything from
 looking at the form or pronunciation.

 b.



 4. Why did you follow up with pronunciation before form?

 a. Because practising the pronunciation of this language was more important than
analysing the form
  of each phrase.


 b. To vary the order of MFPA

 a.



 5. What tips do you have for trainees when dealing with language?

 a. Make sure the language comes from a clear context.


 b. Always use texts to focus on language.


Celia’s cover sheet

End Notes

It is important to remember the following points from the unit:

 Lexis is a broad term covering individual words and chunks of language. Different
aspects of lexis include lexical sets, synonyms, antonyms, prefixes, suffixes, and word
families.

 Chunks of language can be described as collocations, semi-fixed expressions and

fixed expressions, some of which are idioms.

 As with grammar, when teaching lexis, MFPA should be clarified in sufficient depth.
The same clarification techniques can be used to check meaning, for example, clines,
personalisation and concept checking questions. Appropriacy, form and pronunciation
can be clarified in similar ways too.