Corpus Linguistics and Language Learning/Teaching

Module code: EN7306

A corpus is a carefully designed collection of written or spoken texts, stored on computer. In the last few decades, a corpus ‘revolution’ has allowed users of all kinds – researchers, teachers, even language learners – fascinating insights into how language is used, in ways that previously would have been impossible.

Using a corpus you can identify and explore an enormous variety of patterns in English (and other languages) that even language textbooks rarely cover: for example, which words typically ‘go together’ with other words (e.g. which with almost and which with nearly)? Which language features are particularly important in academic texts and casual conversation, respectively, and how are they used? What features of language are changing in English today? What are the most frequent differences of language use between learners of English and L1 speakers in written essays, for example?

The module provides opportunities to explore such issues hands-on, and to think about how corpus linguistics can support language learning and teaching.