Teaching Chunks of Language: From Noticing to Remembering

The Resourceful Teacher

by Seth Lindstromberg, Frank Boers

Teaching Chunks of Language is a motivating new resource book based on the fundamental assumptions of the so-called lexical (or ‘chunk teaching’) approach. Language as used by native speakers consists substantially of memorized multi-word chunks (e.g. by the way). For learners of a foreign language, knowledge of chunks is strongly associated with important aspects of proficiency such as oral fluency and naturalness of expression. The challenging question for foreign learners therefore is this: How can many chunks be committed to active, long-term memory?

Teaching Chunks of Language suggests a communicative approach to the teaching of chunks of language. Most of the activities presented are decidedly communicative and involve a lot of speaking and listening as well as intensive reading and some writing.

176 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2008

About the author

Seth Lindstromberg teaches at Hilderstone College, where he runs language and methodology courses for teachers of English as a foreign language. He also specialises in the teaching of CLIL.