That particular course was just an overview of methodologies and the history of L2 teaching (all review for me but required for a second masters degree (MATESOL) I’m (slowly) working on. We didn’t dwell on any one approach, but we did discuss what are considered currently accepted practices, which included lexical units as a part of viewing language holistically (as opposed to breaking it down to vocabulary at the word, or even morpheme level, or emphasizing grammar analysis). I always include the lexical approach in my teaching as one, albeit an important one, of many learning strategies. When you asked me about what traditional Chinese teaching ideas I would keep, I mentioned sentence patterns. I view many of these as lexical units, set or institutionalized ways of expressing meaning. I don’t think it necessarily helps to apply latin grammar to Chinese (although, we do it for English and some kids are comfortable with that), and sentence patterns fill that quasi-grammar void. I think it’s extremely important to give students a quiver full of lexical items to whip out that are beyond the single word such as:
(all examples in English)

word combinations: blood relative; simply put; and furthermore; inside out; half past; pride and joy; fear and loathing (thanks, Hunter); devil may care; you know…

pat phrases: Let me get that; We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it; Can I get you anything?; That’s beside the point; You get the point…

sentence patterns (sentence/text frames and heads): On the one hand…on the other hand…; The fact of the matter is that….; Let me get this straight…; For the umteenth time…

Learners love these chunks of language, and it buoys their confidence when they can spring an appropriate phrase on you. And some of the more colorful phrases really get them thinking. One of the things I really loved about my years of studying language were colloquialisms (土话) and many of my teachers were loathe to teach them, having a view of learning that said you had to learn to walk before you can run: build language up from the ground, word by word; simple grammar item to more complex. I couldn’t disagree more.

I want to revisit the question of using the lexical approach in Mandarin. Did you guys cover that in the your TESOL program. Any comments on how it can be used in teaching Chinese?

I was considering collecting your comments and publishing them as my own.

Ken

David Nunan is president of Anaheim now! This is an unusual achievement for a one-time TESOL teacher. We don’t usually ascend to such altitudes.

I actually saw him present here in Shanghai about 3 years ago. He was promoting Global English. I remember that he is an Aussie and very prolific. The Global English presetantion was quite influential for me in that it told me a lot about what I didn’t want to do with an online training program. (I don’t mean this to sound facetious.) I guess I just realized I wanted to do somethign different.

Ken

There’s a conference in Fudan University next week on teaching Mandarin with international visitors galore, includign some of the influential people in the industry. Two of the people we will be hooking up with are Professors Tim Xie, and Ho Yong. It should be interesting. I’ll blog about the event (of course).

Ken

That’s a good idea, but in fact my alma mater is University College Dublin.

Ken