Thoughts About Corpus Based Language Learning

To be frankly honest I really had no idea what corpus based language learning was before I read the articles. I am embarrassed to say I had to do a quick google and wikipedia search before reading the articles to get a brief idea what it was. Both readings helped to give me a general idea of how corpus based language learning can be used to make meaning of learning a new language and how we can present the material in a a way that gives the student(s) an oppurtunity to use what is being leaned in a real life context.

It was suggested in Richards and Roger's article "The Lexical Approach" that lexical units play an important role in learning and in coomunication (p.133).  When I teach English to my students, they are often confused when lexicals like idioms and similes. The sometimes take it literally and are really confused. Students will hear these often, as native speakers seldom talk the way they are portrayed in the textbooks, speaking perfect and clear English. This isn't the case, as words are thrown around all the time, and when they are directly translated don't make any sense. The idea of "The Lexical Syllabus" by Willis and the use of Collins COBUILD English course I thought was brillant and very pratical for language learners. By showing the students the most frequently used words in the English language and how they are used the students get a better understanding of how to properly use lexical units.

I notice when I am teaching grammar to my students they end up talking like robots after a period of time. Yes, the grammar that they have learned in their grammar books is correct but a lot of it is rarely used or sounds unnatural to native speakers. By using a lexical Syllabus the students get a chance to use words in a matter in which they are commonly used and sounds more natural. This in my opinion is better for the students in the future as it better prepares them to use them in social interactions. It is important though that the teacher provides guidance to the students and present the material so that it meets the student's individual needs.

In Tim Johns article "From Printout to handout: Grammar and vocabulary teaching in the context of Data driven Learning" I got to see how DDL helped students make meaning of linguistic data. What I liked most about the article was that it discusses how students could start relying less on the teacher and make conclusions on their own. Teachers show the students how to find meaning in word usage and word pairs and then later on they can find and make meaning on their own. The article also suggests that students can create data for themselves and to their own situations in freer types of activities (p.303) . This helps to change the content to better suit the student. As a result, students play a more active role in their language learning.

Overall, both articles stress the importance of langauge learning in a context that is practical for the students. They must be able to make meaning out of what is being said and know how it is being used in real life interaction. Corpus based language learning helps with the compiling of linguistic data. With this we are able to see exactly what words and word combinations are most commonly used and in what context. This better helps us decide what to teach and how to teach it. Both articles were great in establishing this and giving a good introduction on this topic.


Johns, Tim,  "From printout to handout: Grammar and vocabulary teaching in the context of Data-driven Learning", University of Birmingham English Language Research Journal 4, 1991.