Tesis lexical approach

ABSTRACT

We live in a globalized world which demands well prepared citizens. The command of English language is one of the skills needed to be an efficient member of this society since it is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. In this context, the Ministry of Education has launched the English Opens Doors Program that attempts to improve the teaching and learning ofEnglish in Chilean schools.

The Ministry of Education considers that the best way to increase students’ level of English is to improve EFL teachers’ skills in English and methodology. Through the English Opens Doors Program, teachers have access to a number of opportunities to have professional development, for example, local workshops. In 2004 one of these workshops took place in Copiapó andwas called “Vocabulary Development and the Four Skills: Putting Grammar in Its Place”. This workshop referred to the “Lexical Approach” which emphasizes the teaching and learning of lexis and emerges as an alternative to grammar-based approaches which for a long time have received priority in language teaching.

As a way to know the effects of the “October Workshop 2004” on teachers’practice our research team decided to develop an investigation aiming at determining the techniques that the English Teachers who attended the workshop use to teach lexis in the classroom.

In order to collect the data the research team applied interviews to five teachers from a universe of 27 who attended the workshop. According to the results obtained it seems the teachers have the idea thatthe teaching of lexis must take place mainly in the stages of pre-reading and pre-listening ,i.e., lexis does not receive the main importance as the Lexical approach states. Besides, the research team concluded that these teachers have not really incorporated the Lexical Approach to their teaching.













ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank my mother who has been ofvital importance for me to accomplish this marvelous dream. Dear mother, this work is dedicated to you. Thanks so much. I would also like to thank my brothers who have given me support during all my life. Besides, I want to thank my friends Francisco Toro, Jaime Acuña, Daniel Tello, Pamela Aguirre, Bernardo Araya, Alicia Godoy and Miguel Seura for their understanding and help during all theseyears in the university. Above all, I would like to thank God for giving me the strength to achieve my goals. Finally, I would like to thank my teachers for giving me the tools that will be necessary in my professional life.










Mario Bordones Salas


ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank my sister Sandra, who believed and supported me, my mother, who gave me asecond opportunity to start and finish this career. To God, my father and my sisters for their love and support. Thanks to my best friend Ramiro for his support and friendship. To my boyfriend Nestor for his support, love and company. Thanks to my classmates Miguel, Daniel and Mario for their ideas and work to finish this seminar and thanks to my guide teacher for her comprehension, help anddedication.











Alicia Godoy Zuleta

Introduction

The modern world is going through important changes. One of the most significant changes is the process of globalization that has turned the world into a single huge global village. According to these facts a universal language is being needed in order to understand one another.

Due to the necessity ofcommunication at a world wide level, our country has been working in different policies especially inside the educational arena. The Ministry of Education (MINEDUC) is concerned with providing Chilean people with the basic tools so they will be able to survive in this new world. This Ministry has decided to improve the training of English teachers. The English Opens Doors Program is the best example...