Abstract:

Based on the theoretical principles of lexical approach and prefabricated chunks, this study aims to investigate the application of lexical chunks to English vocabulary teaching in junior high schools, using questionnaires and experiment. The experiment was conducted in two parallel classes with the similar language proficiency according to the statistical analysis of the pretest. The experiment lasted about one month. Results of the experiment show that the lexical chunk approach is effective in teaching English vocabulary to junior high school students and this approach is still not wildly used by teachers, although more and more teachers have begun to realize its importance. 

Key words: lexical chunks, junior high school students, teaching English vocabulary

摘要：

本文基于语块理论和预制语块理论，运用问卷和实验法研究语块理论在初中英语词汇教学中的应用。验是对两个初一平行班级进行一个月的关于词块理论在初中词汇 英语中的应用的教学研究。研究结果显示将此教学法应用于初中英语教学是可以提高学生词汇水平的，同时研究也表明语块教学法在初中词汇教学中并不是一个常用 的方法，但是越来越多的老师开始意识到此方法的有效性。

关键词：语块；初中生；英语词汇教学

1. Introduction
Vocabulary is a very important component of language and plays a vital role in language teaching. Only by grasping enough vocabulary can middle school students have good abilities of reading, listening, writing and speaking. Therefore, in middle schools, if a student does not lay a solid foundation of vocabulary, he or she may feel overwhelmed by English learning. So, how to help students learn vocabulary stirs teachers’ deep thinking and becomes a teaching challenge.
However, in China, though a large number of English teachers spend much time on grammar and vocabulary teaching, many of them cannot find proper and efficient ways. As a result, learners still have many difficulties in using vocabulary in authentic contexts. Accordingly, more and more language researchers believe that lexical chunks theory can be considered a better method which can be applied to vocabulary teaching in junior high schools. Therefore, during the process of vocabulary learning, we should consider how to bear new words in mind for a long time and use them in a positive way by using lexical chunks. This thesis studies the current situation and effectiveness of applying lexical chunks to English teaching in junior middle schools.