Corpus Linguistics
What can a corpus tell us ? Levels of information range from simple word lists to catalogues of complex grammatical structures and interactive analyses
The tools range from basic concordancing packages to complex computer programs I.Frequency of occurrence information word list
Def. Can be arranged in alphabetic or frequency order Can be compared to discover some lexical differences across registers. Can be useful for vocabulary instruction and test development
II. Concordancing packages Can provide additional information about lexical co- occurrence patterns Can provide information about Words that tend to occur together = collocation e.g of collocation: Nearly synonymous words Lexical phrases or bundles
Working with Tagged Texts Tagged texts. Interactive tagging. Objectives:. explore a variety of complex linguistic issues: clusters of features. explore how features work together in texts
Overview of Different Types of Corpus Studies I. Language change = historical linguistics 1- changes across the centuries 2- language development in 1 st & 2 nd language situations II. Similarities/differences across different national or regional varieties of English
III. Differences bet. Spoken & written language. The characteristics of a particular register can provide valuable resources for teachers & students
How can Corpora inform Language Teaching ? The availability of corpus findings and tools for exploring corpora is a considerable benefit to the lang. classroom 1.providing Tr. with a basis for deciding which lang. features & structures are important 2.how various features & structures are used
These decisions can now be grounded on actual patterns of lang. use in various situations There are several works that encourage Tr. to explore the use of corpora in the lang. classroom
Bringing Corpora into the Language Classroom I. Tr. can shape instruction based on corpus-based information 2.Tr. can have learners interacting with Corpora -If computer facilities are adequate -If adequate facilities do not exist
The use of concordancing tasks in the classroom a.Advocated by those who favour an inductive or data-driven approach to learning b.Criticized by those who argue of difficulty to guide students in the analysis of vast numbers of linguistic examples
Examples of Corpus-based Classroom Activities I. Several vocabulary activities can be generated through simple frequency list & concordancing output a. identify & prioritize voc. words that need to be taught b- be a starting point to group words by grammatical/semantic categories
c. explore how to change words with various suffixes 2. Concordances of target words are used to better understand those words’ meaning & usage 3. Collocational activities help advanced learners refine the context of use & move toward native-like use
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