Memetics is a newly developed theory for interpreting the law of cultural evolution based on Darwin’s evolutionary theory, and its core term is meme, as the unit of cultural information. Language is considered as the carrier of meme while meme itself replicate and transmit on the base of language.
In recent years, the prefabricated chunks study has become the focus of a large number of linguists both at home and abroad. In view of prefabricated chunks’ special function of organizing text is extremely similar with the life cycle of language meme, this essay attempts to deal with the relationships between prefabricated chunks and language meme and the application in a case -- TEM4 Writing sequentially to improve students writing ability and bring about the real communication.
The whole thesis contains five parts. The major contents in each part will be presented as follows: part one acts as introduction introducing the background of the research and its purpose. Part two describes the definition of memetics and prefabricated chunks. Moreover, this part also illustrates the research review of memetics and prefabricated chunks both at home and abroad. Part three explores the feasibility of applying prefabricated chunks into English writing from the view of memetics. Part four takes TEM4 writing part as a case to practice what have discussed in part three. The last part gives a summary and draws the conclusion of the whole thesis including its limitations and suggestions.
2. Literature Review
In order to give a clear picture of how to carry out prefabricated chunks into English writing from the perspective of memetics, it is indispensible to give a brief review of pre-studies about memetics and chunks before beginning a further study. This part will probe into the main concepts and its development about meme both at home and abroad, and the definition of prefabricated chunks and its classification.源[自-优尔*`论/文'网·www.youerw.com/
2.1 The Definition of Prefabricated Chunks
Different experts and scholars defined prefabricated chunks differently, such as lexical phrase, formulas, formulaic sequences and lexical sentence stems. Ellis(1994:30) held prefabricated chunks like greeting words, which are fixed and predictable. Wray(2002) regarded it as a string of coherently or incoherently prefabricated words or other units of meaning.
Lewis(1993:11) classified chunks into five sorts, including words, polywords, institutionalized utterances, collocations and sentence heads and frames. Namely Words e.g., “desk” ”book”; PolyWords refers to these fixed expressions with characteristics of idioms e.g., “ups and downs” ”as a result of ”; Institutionalized Utterances refers to fixed or semi-fixed word combination with pragmatic functions e.g., “I have made it.” “Good night”; Collocations or Word Partnership refers to some high-frequency words which usually appear together e.g., “V+N,” “Adj+N”; Sentence Heads and Frames e.g., “it is so…that”.
Nittinger &DaCarrico (1992:23) held that prefabricated chunks can be classified as four kinds comprising PolyWords, which can be regarded as words in written e.g., “a glass of water” ”all in all”; Institutionalized expressions includes aphorism, byword and social sets, used as the units of language by speaker and reserved in one’s memory in the form of chunks e.g., “A friend in need is a friend indeed.” “May I come in?” “Best wishes for you”; Phrasal constraints, its internal structure is able to be varied where some words can be inserted e.g., “as quickly (clearly/loudly) as possible” “from my (his/her) point of view”; Sentence builders serve as a fixed sentence pattern with high changeability e.g., “I hold that…” “My question is…” 模因论视域下预制语块在英语写作中的应用(2):http://www.youerw.com/shengwu/lunwen_63396.html