Abstract:

Specialists working in contemporary international organizations face a significant number of challenges. In order to succeed in their careers and they are required to solve complex tasks, have a profound knowledge of international relations and possess a high level of proficiency in the foreign languages in which they conduct their business.

This research is aimed at assisting students in tackling the latter of those three challenges: the acquisition of a foreign language. Specifically, it investigates the development of fluency and accuracy in advanced-level learners of English through a lexical approach to vocabulary acquisition.

The article examines the literature relating to various modes of working with vocabulary chunks, collocations and phrasal verbs with a view to identifying potential useful means of developing the vocabulary of advanced language learners as well as activating the vocabulary pattern inherent in the lexical chunks.

Working in a language classroom the authors then attempt to implement a select number of techniques widely adopted by proponents of the lexical approach. In this way various means of presenting vocabulary in a variety of contexts are scrutinized. Additionally, the method of grasping the meaning of the target language vocabulary through the use of translation into the mother tongue or native language is observed. As a result of the scrutiny a number of different types of exercises are analysed and a commentary on the potential benefits and possible drawbacks of their classroom is made.

Based on the aforementioned theoretical and practical investigation and subsequent commentary, the article concludes with a number of practical suggestions which may be of interest to those engaged in the creation of coursebooks for advanced learners.

Keywords:

Advanced language proficiency, high-level learners, collocations, vocabulary chunks, lexical chunks, phrasal verbs, fluency, vocabulary acquisition.