Abstract:
This study examined the use of lexical bundles in the writings of students of public
Senior High School Students in the Accra Metropolis. Specifically, the frequency of
occurrence of lexical bundles, their structural classification as well as their functional
classification are explored in order to propose pedagogical approaches to teaching
lexical bundles as an aspect of English Language to Second Language Learners. The
research design was a case study and the research approach qualitative. The sampling
procedures adopted were stratified sampling and purposive sampling techniques,
while analysis of the data was done using the identification, categorization and textual
analysis approach. Data were obtained from 5 schools, 12 courses from 168 writings
(scripts) of students. The findings indicate that out of a total number of words of
seventy-five thousand, six hundred (75,600) analyzed, two hundred and twenty-two
(222) lexical bundles were identified, with the most recurring lexical bundles
recurring 20 times across all scripts analyzed. Three (3) word lexical bundles formed
the majority of all identified lexical bundles, making up 40% of the 222 identified
lexical bundles. With regard to the structure of these identified lexical bundles, the
noun structures formed the majority, constituting 34% of the 222 bundles.
Functionally, the research-oriented bundles and text-oriented bundles constituted 17%
each of the lexical Bundles. There are pedagogical approaches that have been
proposed in the study that directs the educator as to how to introduce and infuse the
learning of phraseology into mainstream classroom-based activities.
Description:
A dissertation in the Department of Applied Linguistics,
Faculty of Foreign Languages Education and communication,
submitted to The School of Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfilment
of the Requirements for the award of the degree of
Master of Philosophy
(Teaching English as a Second Language)
in the University of Education, Winneba.
