Using Corpora in the Language Classroom

Explains and illustrates how teachers can use corpora to create classroom materials and activities to address specific class needs.

Randi Reppen (Author)

9780521146081, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 15 March 2010

120 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 0.8 cm, 0.2 kg

Explains and illustrates how teachers can use corpora to create classroom materials and activities to address specific class needs. Using Corpora in the Language Classroom shows teachers how to use corpora and corpus tools to expand student learning. Together with its companion website, this teacher-friendly book demystifies corpus linguistics with clear explanations, instructions and examples. It provides the essential knowledge, tools, and skills teachers need to enable students to discover how language is really used. Clear and concise, this volume provides: -An overview of corpus linguistics -Clear explanations of terminology -Tasks and activities that invite readers to interact with the material -Principled instructions for creating classroom materials and activities, including how to create corpora to address specific class needs.

Chapter 3: Using corpus internet resources in the classroom 1. Using internet resources – What to look for and what to avoid. 2. Using 'pre-processed' material (e.g., academic word list sites) 3. Interfacing with corpora on line (e.g.,MICASE, Corpus of American English) 4. Putting it together Chapter 4: Using corpus material and creating specialized corpora 1. Creating corpus materials for classroom use 2. Developing hands-on corpus activities 3. Guiding students using corpus activities to help them discover patterns of language use 4. Developing corpora for classroom use 5. Putting it together Chapter 5: Bringing it into the classroom: Example activities and descriptions of corpora in the classroom (25 – 30 pages double spaced) 1. Introduction 2. Example activities 3. Examples from the classroom 4. Putting it together References Appendices Appendix A: Resources for activities This appendix will contain word lists, concordance output and other material based on corpus research that can be used to create activities outlined in the book and also as a resource for future activities that teachers can create for their particular teaching contexts. Appendix B: Corpus Resources A briefly annotated list of corpora and tools. A selected bibliography of corpus linguistics and language teaching. Selected journal articles and books on corpus linguistics and language teaching.

Subject Areas: ELT: English for specific purposes [ES], ELT: teaching theory & methods [EBA]