Using corpora in the language classroom: what is possible and what is feasible.

[…] it is certainly possible to use language corpora and CL methodology in the language classroom. This “possibilities” scenario (Alcaraz and Pérez-Paredes, 2008) takes the research tools and methodology of the CL research paradigm straightaway to the language classroom. In other words, in the specific contexts of the language learning it seemed appropriate to do so. However, other considerations affecting pedagogic issues were simply neglected. The methodological transfer from the CL research area to the applied ring of language learning and teacher underwent no adaptation, and thus learners were presented with the same tools, corpora and analytical tasks as well-trained and professional linguists.

[…]

The “feasibility” scenario advocated by Alcaraz & Pérez- Paredes (2008) postulates itself as a complement to the possibilities scenario for learning environments other than the university or those
oriented towards professionals like linguists or translators. In this scenario language corpora are specifically compiled, annotated and exploited with a pedagogic intention. The main characteristics of this new scenario are defined against the present role of principled corpora in language education, and are concerned with the role played by corpora in language learning, corpus design issues such as annotation and usability, and, how the notion of authenticity is operationalized in this context.

Pérez-Paredes, P. (2010). Corpus Linguistics and Language Education in Perspective: Appropriation and the Possibilities Scenario. In T. Harris & M. Moreno Jaén (Eds.), Corpus Linguistics in Language Teaching (pp. 53-73). Peter Lang. 

Using corpora in the language classroom: what is possible and what is feasible.

[…] it is certainly possible to use language corpora and CL methodology in the language classroom. This “possibilities” scenario (Alcaraz and Pérez-Paredes, 2008) takes the research tools and methodology of the CL research paradigm straightaway to the language classroom. In other words, in the specific contexts of the language learning it seemed appropriate to do so. However, other considerations affecting pedagogic issues were simply neglected. The methodological transfer from the CL research area to the applied ring of language learning and teacher underwent no adaptation, and thus learners were presented with the same tools, corpora and analytical tasks as well-trained and professional linguists.

[…]

The “feasibility” scenario advocated by Alcaraz & Pérez- Paredes (2008) postulates itself as a complement to the possibilities scenario for learning environments other than the university or those
oriented towards professionals like linguists or translators. In this scenario language corpora are specifically compiled, annotated and exploited with a pedagogic intention. The main characteristics of this new scenario are defined against the present role of principled corpora in language education, and are concerned with the role played by corpora in language learning, corpus design issues such as annotation and usability, and, how the notion of authenticity is operationalized in this context.

Pérez-Paredes, P. (2010). Corpus Linguistics and Language Education in Perspective: Appropriation and the Possibilities Scenario. In T. Harris & M. Moreno Jaén (Eds.), Corpus Linguistics in Language Teaching (pp. 53-73). Peter Lang. 

CorpusCALL: Using pedagogic corpora in ELT


María Sánchez-Tornel  &  Pascual Pérez-Paredes
University of Murcia (Spain)
Sites of interest:
·       SACODEYL: www.um.es/sacodeyl
·       BACKBONE: www.uni-tuebingen.de/backbone
References:
·       Alcaraz, J.M. & Pérez-Paredes, P. 2008. What do annotators annotate? An analysis of language teachers’ corpus pedagogical annotation. In Frankenburg-Garcia, A. (ed) Proceedings of the 8th Teaching and Language Corpora Conference, 2008. Lisbon, Portugal: Associação de Estudos e de Investigação Cientifíca do ISLA-Lisboa.
·       Braun, S. 2007. Integrating corpus work into secondary education: From data-driven learning to needs-driven corpora. ReCALL, 19 (3), 307-328. 
·       Braun, S., Kohn, K., & Mukherjee, J. (Eds.). 2006. Corpus Technology and Language Pedagogy: New Resources, New Tools, New Methods. Frankfurt: Peter Lang.
·       Kohn, K. (2013). Pedagogic corpora: From real language to relevant language learning activities. TESOL Arabia Conference. 16 March 2013. http://www.slideshare.net/kurtkohn/kohn-2013-pedagogic-corpora-tesol-arabia-1416-march-2013final
·       Pérez-Paredes, P. (2010). Corpus Linguistics and Language Education in Perspective: Appropriation and the Possibilities Scenario. In T. Harris & M. Moreno Jaén (Eds.), Corpus Linguistics in Language Teaching (pp. 53-73). Peter Lang. 
·       Pérez-Paredes, P., & Díez Bedmar, B. (2010). Language corpora and the language classroom. Materiales de formación del profesorado de lengua extranjera Inglés (pp. 1-48). Consejería de Educación y Cultura. CARM.
·       Pérez-Paredes, P. Sánchez-Tornel, M. & Alcaraz Calero, J.M. (2011). The role of corpus linguistics in developing innovation in data-driven language learning. Actas del I Congreso de Innovación Docente. Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena
http://repositorio.bib.upct.es/dspace/handle/10317/2209
·       Pérez-Paredes, P., Sánchez-Tornel, M., Alcaraz Calero, J.M. & Aguado Jiménez, P. (2011). Tracking learners’ actual uses of corpora: guided vs non-guided corpus consultation. Computer Assisted Language Learning 24 (3), 233-253.
·       Sánchez-Tornel, M., Alcaraz Calero, J.M. & Pérez-Paredes, P. (2011). Collaborative Annotation for implementing corpora for content and language integrated learning web services. In A. Gimeno (Ed.) New Trends in CALL: Working Together. London: Macmillan.




CorpusCALL: Using pedagogic corpora in ELT


María Sánchez-Tornel  &  Pascual Pérez-Paredes
University of Murcia (Spain)
Sites of interest:
·       SACODEYL: www.um.es/sacodeyl
·       BACKBONE: www.uni-tuebingen.de/backbone
References:
·       Alcaraz, J.M. & Pérez-Paredes, P. 2008. What do annotators annotate? An analysis of language teachers’ corpus pedagogical annotation. In Frankenburg-Garcia, A. (ed) Proceedings of the 8th Teaching and Language Corpora Conference, 2008. Lisbon, Portugal: Associação de Estudos e de Investigação Cientifíca do ISLA-Lisboa.
·       Braun, S. 2007. Integrating corpus work into secondary education: From data-driven learning to needs-driven corpora. ReCALL, 19 (3), 307-328. 
·       Braun, S., Kohn, K., & Mukherjee, J. (Eds.). 2006. Corpus Technology and Language Pedagogy: New Resources, New Tools, New Methods. Frankfurt: Peter Lang.
·       Kohn, K. (2013). Pedagogic corpora: From real language to relevant language learning activities. TESOL Arabia Conference. 16 March 2013. http://www.slideshare.net/kurtkohn/kohn-2013-pedagogic-corpora-tesol-arabia-1416-march-2013final
·       Pérez-Paredes, P. (2010). Corpus Linguistics and Language Education in Perspective: Appropriation and the Possibilities Scenario. In T. Harris & M. Moreno Jaén (Eds.), Corpus Linguistics in Language Teaching (pp. 53-73). Peter Lang. 
·       Pérez-Paredes, P., & Díez Bedmar, B. (2010). Language corpora and the language classroom. Materiales de formación del profesorado de lengua extranjera Inglés (pp. 1-48). Consejería de Educación y Cultura. CARM.
·       Pérez-Paredes, P. Sánchez-Tornel, M. & Alcaraz Calero, J.M. (2011). The role of corpus linguistics in developing innovation in data-driven language learning. Actas del I Congreso de Innovación Docente. Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena
http://repositorio.bib.upct.es/dspace/handle/10317/2209
·       Pérez-Paredes, P., Sánchez-Tornel, M., Alcaraz Calero, J.M. & Aguado Jiménez, P. (2011). Tracking learners’ actual uses of corpora: guided vs non-guided corpus consultation. Computer Assisted Language Learning 24 (3), 233-253.
·       Sánchez-Tornel, M., Alcaraz Calero, J.M. & Pérez-Paredes, P. (2011). Collaborative Annotation for implementing corpora for content and language integrated learning web services. In A. Gimeno (Ed.) New Trends in CALL: Working Together. London: Macmillan.




More systematic studies are needed in order to test the benefits of DDL

In different ways, the use of concordancers, concordance lines and language corpora promoted the use of information technologies and active search strategies, which was perceived as a valuable asset. Recently, Johansson (2009:41) claimed that more systematic studies are needed in order to test the benefits of DDL and that it is necessary to discuss “students’ problems with corpus investigation” so that specialists can “suggest how [learners] could be better equipped to be corpus researchers”. 

From Pérez-Paredes, P.Sánchez-Tornel, M. and Alcaraz Calero, J.M. Learners’ search patterns during corpus-based focus-on-form activities. A study on hands-on concordancing. International Journal of Corpus Linguistics 17:4. 2012. iii, 150 pp. (pp. 482–515)

More systematic studies are needed in order to test the benefits of DDL

In different ways, the use of concordancers, concordance lines and language corpora promoted the use of information technologies and active search strategies, which was perceived as a valuable asset. Recently, Johansson (2009:41) claimed that more systematic studies are needed in order to test the benefits of DDL and that it is necessary to discuss “students’ problems with corpus investigation” so that specialists can “suggest how [learners] could be better equipped to be corpus researchers”. 

From Pérez-Paredes, P.Sánchez-Tornel, M. and Alcaraz Calero, J.M. Learners’ search patterns during corpus-based focus-on-form activities. A study on hands-on concordancing. International Journal of Corpus Linguistics 17:4. 2012. iii, 150 pp. (pp. 482–515)