How the Method Was Born — Who Created It The Lexical Approach was developed by Michael Lewis in the 1990s. Lewis challenged the idea that grammar is the backbone of language. Instead, he argued that: Vocabulary is not individual words but multi-word units. Fluency comes from retrieving chunks, not constructing sentences. Teaching should reflect how language is actually stored in the brain. His work was a reaction to grammar-heavy syllabuses that produced accuracy but not flue