Overview

This module introduces students to the theoretical and practical issues of using corpora in linguistic studies and helps them to develop the background, knowledge and skills needed in order to develop and utilize a corpus based approach in their own research projects. The goals of this module are two-fold. First the students will be introduced and become familiar with the technical aspects of course based approaches and research. Then, attention will be directed to looking at how corpora and corpuses based approaches are used in a range of linguistic and language oriented studies. The lectures will provide students with the “big picture”, i.e. different research domains will be explored, central topics are summarized, important studies discussed and open questions outlined. In the tutorials, students discuss key studies in detail and reflect on methodologies, results and implications.

The following topics will be covered:

1. Introducing corpus linguistics, corpus design, types of corpora and corpus annotation
2. Corpus analysis: concordance, wordlist, keyword analysis
3. Integrating stats and making statistic claims
4. Corpora in grammatical studies
5. Corpora in diachronic studies
6. Metaphor and Corpus Linguistics
7. Corpora in critical discourse analysis
8. Corpora in language variation research
9. Corpora and translation studies / reserach
10. Corpora in sociolinguistic studies / research
11. Corpora in language education - focus on TEFL.

Assessment Strategy

-threshold -C: The answer must show a basic knowledge and understanding of the relevant key areas and principles of research methodologies and questions as applied in corpus-based approaches. The answer must show evidence of some background study of primary sources going beyond material discussed in lectures. The answer must be relevant to the research topic chosen.

-good -B: Data and/or review of literature must be collected, organized, and analysed with care and an appreciation must be shown of some of the problems involved with collecting data and/or preparing a review of literature. The answer must show a better-than-average standard of knowledge and understanding.The answer must show evidence of background of primary sources. Assertions must be supported by reference to a theory and/or empirical research.The answer must show evidence of analytical thinking. The answer must have a coherent structure that is adhered to in the most part; relationships between successive parts must be generally easy to follow.

-excellent -A: Data and/or review of literature must be evaluated critically in a logical manner.The answer must have an originality of exposition and understanding; the author’s own thinking should be readily apparent. The answer must show clear evidence of extensive reading of primary sources. The answer must show a clear line structure in which each successive stage is explicitly linked and the reader is explicitly told why these parts are relevant to the study.

Learning Outcomes

• Students will be able to confidently use major corpus resources and concordance tools such as MonoConc and AntConc in research.

• Students will be able to present and discuss in detail and analyse key facts, concepts, ideas and approaches relating to the use of corpora and corpus based approaches in the study of language.

• Students will know and demonstrate an understanding of the major theoretical frameworks in corpus linguistics and formulate research questions that are amenable to corpus research.

• Students will know how to critically evaluate in detail corpus based studies in linguistics and related disciplines that examine language use, reference, categorization, comprehension, cognition and synchronic and diachronic change and or patterns.

• Students will know what the central questions in corpus linguistics research are.

• Students will understand the principles underlying the scientific method in general and empirical data driven approach in particular and how to apply them.

• Students will understand what types of research and research questions are commonly used in corpus based approaches to examining language use, reference, categorization patterns etc and why.