Demystifying Corpus Linguistics for English Language Teaching

(Book Review)

Abstract

Corpus linguistics is a methodological approach that is utilized to analyse a body of language to draw conclusions on linguistic features (McEnery & Wilson, 2001). When language teaching context is concerned, it holds the capacity to impact it through two principal dimensions. Firstly, the examination of authentic language usage can offer valuable insights for developing teaching materials, including learner dictionaries, wordlists, and course books. Secondly, corpus linguistics can be applied pedagogically in the classroom, known as “data-driven learning” (DDL). In this approach, students analyse and explore naturally occurring language data, drawing their own conclusions about usage (Harrington & Ronan, 2023).

This book explores diverse approaches to implementing corpus methodology in language teaching. It encompasses a total of 13 chapters, with contributions from a collective of 17 authors. The opening chapter, authored by the editors Kieran Harrington and Patricia Ronan, provides working definitions for corpus linguistics and data-driven learning as an addition to key concepts such as corpus tools, concordances, and word frequency lists are elucidated.