Abstract

Lexical fossilization is inevitable in college students’ English writing in China, Chinese college non-English major students often are influenced by lexical fossilization in their English writing, hence they could not write good articles to satisfy themselves and their teachers. The paper analyzes the phenomena of lexical fossilization in Non- English major college students’ writing and discusses how to solve the problems. Which is aimed at making them realize the causes of lexical fossilization, knowing the methods of avoiding lexical fossilization, reducing the bad impacts of lexical fossilization in English writing and improving the level of English writing.  

This paper analyzes kinds of phenomena of lexical fossilization from shape, meaning and cultural habit of words in non-English major college students’ writing. Meantime, according to kinds of phenomena of lexical fossilization, the reasons can be explained from internal and external factors, which are language transfer, learning strategies, academic environment and learning tools. Like as the thesis, four strategies of resolution have been mentioned.

Keywords: non-English major; lexical fossilization; English writing; strategies

          of resolution

Contents

Abstract

摘要

1. Introduction-1

2. Literature Review-1

2.1 The definition of fossilization-1

2.2 The definition of lexical fossilization-2

3. Lexical Fossilization in Non-English Major Students’ English Writing-3

3.1 Lexical fossilization on spelling-3

3.2 Lexical fossilization on the word order-4

3.3 Lexical fossilization on synonyms-4

3.4 Lexical fossilization on part of speech-5

3.5 Lexical fossilization on incomplete equivalence of semantics-6

4. Reasons for Lexical Fossilization-9

4.1 Internal factors-9

4.2 External factors-9

5.Strategies of Resolution for Lexical Fossilization-10

5.1 Learning and comparing words from different angles-10

5.2 Improving the habits and optimizing learning strategies-11

5.3 Reading original English works and browsing English website-11

5.4 Finding efficient learning tools-12

6. Conclusion-12

Works Cited-13