Using Corpora in Language Teaching

Corpus research has been playing an increasingly important role in current approaches to language learning and teaching. Corpus linguistics is a powerful method of language analysis, which is now used in the development of major language teaching resources such as textbooks, dictionaries and grammars. This module is designed to equip you with up-to-date knowledge and skills which will enable you to use corpus resources with confidence in your language teaching practice and research. The module explores different ways in which corpus linguistics can assist language teachers and materials developers in effective language teaching. In a series of lectures and tasks, we will focus on the understanding of the principles of integrating corpora into language teaching, discussing topics such as discovery learning, data-driven learning and authenticity in language teaching materials. In hands-on sessions in a computer lab, we will develop skills in the practical use of key corpus methods. Finally, this module will equip you with the skills necessary for developing effective classroom materials and activities using corpora and corpus methods.