“Using the Internet for ESL Computer Learner Corpora Activities”
Tri-TESOL Conference at Highline Community College
Des Moines,
Washington State, USA Saturday, 10:15-11:00
Presented by Teresa
Boyden Knudsen, Director, Lakeside Languages
Spokane, Washington Lakesidelanguages.com
Background of Development
of Computer Learner Corpora (CLC)
December 1998:
Computer Learner Corpora Conference held in at the Chinese
University of Hong Kong, Organized by Joseph Hung and Sylviane Granger.
2002
The 1998 conference sets in motion a benchmark reference
book:Computer Learner Corpora, Second Language Acquisition, and Foreign Language Teaching, edited by Sylviane Granger, Joseph Hung and Stephanie Petch-Tyson.
This work provides the following definition of Computer Learner Corpora (CLC):
“Computer learner corpora are
electronic collections of spoken or written texts produced by foreign or second
language learners in a variety of language settings. Once computerized, these
data can be analyzed with linguistic software tools, from simple ones, which
search, count and display, to the most advanced ones, which provide
sophisticated analyses of the data.”
The corpora can be commercially or academically produced.
Granger refers to Atkins and Clear (1992) to distinguish
between a corpus and an archive.“a corpus is a body of text assembled according to explicit design criteria for a specific purpose.”
“[an archive] is a repository of readable electronic texts not linked in any coordinated way.”
In “A Bird’s Eye View of Computer Learner Corpus Research” Sylviane Granger’s presentation in Hong Kong focused on these areas of Computer Learner Corpus research:
Corpus Building (Ellis 1994)
1. Language Use Data
2. Metalingual Judgments
3. Self-Report Data
Corpus Analysis
1. An analysis of learner errors
2. An analysis of quantitative differences between non-native and native language.
Pedagogical Benefits
1. Language learner tools
2. Language learner methodology
Samples of Corpus Based Web Resources
TeleNex http://www.telenex.hku.hk/telec/pmain/opening.htm
Internet Grammar http://www.ucl.ac.uk/internet-grammar/home.htm
Chemnitz Internet Grammar
http://www.tuchemnitz.de/phil/english/chairs/linguist/real/index.html
Engines:
Corpus Work Bench via Arne Fitschen, IMS StuggartQwick via Oliver Mason, University of Birmingham
SARA or SGML-Aware Retrieval Application, Oxford
Wordsmith http://www.lexically.net/wordsmith/
WordSmith Tools, via Mike Scott, Liverpool University http://www.lexically.net/wordsmith/
Corpus Linguistic Links http://www.lexically.net/wordsmith/corpus_linguistics_links/index.html
“…researchers and
teachers should also be encouraged to make their own exercises or analyses
available via the web to a large teaching community.” (Granger, p. 138).
Sample of CLC for writing a cover letter with resume:
“I have enclosed my resume…”“A resume is enclosed.”
“Enclosed is a copy of my resume…” (p. 194).
“Getting the Right Tools for the Job: Creating Corpora for Language
Learning.” Greg Hadley. International Symposium on Computer Learner
Corpora, Second Language Acquisition and Foreign Language Teaching. Organized
by Joseph Hung and Sylviane Granger. Chinese University of Hong Kong. December
1998.
Obtaining Equipment
Performing a Needs AnalysisCollecting Material
Ensuring Validity
Developing Storage
Performing CLC Analysis
Budgeting Time
“Language Corpora and
the Language Classroom.” Pasual Perez-Paredes and Belen Diez Bedmar (2009).
http://www.slideshare.net/perezparedes/language-corpora-and-the-language-classroomIn “Language Corpora and the Language Classroom,” the authors note the growing interest in Corpus Linguistics (CL) and Data-Driven Learning (DDL). They quote O’Keffe, McCarthy and Carter (2007:21)
“As well as providing an empirical
basis for checking our intuitions about language, corpora have also brought to
light features about language which has eluded our intuition […] In terms of
what we actually teach, numerous studies have shown us that the language
presented in textbooks is frequently still based on intuition about how we use
language, rather than actual evidence of use.” O’Keffe, McCarthy and Carter
(2007:21)
A corpus can reveal facts about real use of language.
Requires users to read verticallyRequires learners to move from deductive to inductive
Advice:
·
Select a small group of learners· Avoid meta-language
· Prepare students to read vertically , interpret context, make hypothesis regarding use and prosodies (positive or negative intents).
· Prepare the students’ research intent.
· Engage the students with questions, as researchers or detectives
· Select appropriate corpus or build your own.
http://www.um.es/sacodeyl
From Douglas Biber’s
work in corpus linguistics and language use:
Biber, D., and J.K. Jones. 2005. Merging corpus linguistic
and discourse analytic research goals: Discourse units in biology research
articles. Corpus Linguistics and Linguistic Theory 1.151-182.SAGE Publications Ltd: Corpus Linguistics: Four-Volume Set ...
www.uk.sagepub.com/books/Book236030 - United Kingdom
A SAGE Publications book: Corpus Linguistics: Douglas Biber,
Randi Reppen. ... Corpus linguistics is a research approach to investigate the
patterns of language ... and sociolinguistic studies of dialects, registers,
styles, and world varieties. ...
Using the Internet
for ESL Computer Learner Corpora Activities
Using the Internet balances Adkins and Clear’s distinction:
“[an archive] is a repository of readable electronic texts
not linked in any coordinated way.”
“a corpus is a body of text
assembled according to explicit design criteria for a specific purpose.”- The Internet functions as an archive.
- The instructor’s selection of various web-based activities can constitute a corpus.
Native-speaker corpora (reference corpora)
Target learner corpora (showing common errors)
Examples of
Internet-based ESL Computer Learner Corpora Activities:
Student-generated Blogs Students access the blog to post their writing assignments.
Some examples include writing in rhetorical modes:
Journals
Narratives
Descriptions
Classification
Compare Contrast
5 Paragraph Essay
Argument/Persuasion Essay
The instructor reviews the writing assignment in class or
online.
Students begin to brainstorm, pre-write, and write the
assignment.Instructor and students engage in the revision process and peer editing.
Students post revised assignments.
Students read each other’s writing.
This serves as a “horizontal” learner corpus.
Language learners have observed the entire process.
Language learners have focused on specific language tasks.
(Organization, development, mechanics, etc).
While reading the posts, language learners can notice the
ways that other students approached the language task.
Native Speaker
Corpora: Film Scripts and Film Viewing: Online Film and Television Scripts
Drew's Script-O-Rama: Movie Scriptshttp://www.script-o-rama.com/snazzy/dircut.html
Screenplays for You: Pirates of the Caribbean The Curse of
the Black Pearl
http://sfy.ru/?script=pirates_of_the_caribbean
Some films that work well: (Show first 20 minutes and/or
selections)
- Shark Boy and Lava Girl: 6 senses, bullying, imagination, dreams
- Sleepless in Seattle: Wishes, dreams, overcoming grief
- National Treasure: US History, Declaration of Independence, action
- Twilight: Current movie with current discourse and topics
http://www.imsdb.com/scripts/Twilight.html
[Scene for three males and one female, but anyone can take any part]
Charlie, Billy, Jacob, Bella and Narrator.
Brainstorm Ways to Apply
the Scene from Twilight to CLC
Brainstorm and Use
Imaginations:
Other examples of using the Internet for Computer Learner
Corpora
Blackboard: Syllabus, Postings, Updates, ForumsNews stories
School bulletins
References
A Bird’s Eye View of Computer Learner Corpus Research”
Sylviane Granger. International Symposium on Computer Learner Corpora, Second
Language Acquisition and Foreign Language Teaching. Organized by Joseph Hung
and Sylviane Granger. Chinese University of Hong Kong. December 1998.
Computer Learner
Corpora, Second Language Acquisition, and Foreign Language Teaching.
Eds. Sylviane Granger, Joseph Hung and Stephanie
Petch-Tyson. Philadelphia and Amsterdam:
John Benjamins Publishing Company. 2002. http://books.google.com/books?id=SgEtnIOdC5kC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
“Getting the Right Tools for the Job: Creating Corpora for
Language Learning.” Greg Hadley. International Symposium on Computer Learner
Corpora, Second Language Acquisition and Foreign Language Teaching. Organized
by Joseph Hung and Sylviane Granger. Chinese University of Hong Kong. December
1998.
International Symposium on Computer Learner Corpora, Second
Language Acquisition and Foreign Language Teaching. Organized by Joseph Hung
and Sylviane Granger. Chinese University of Hong Kong. December 1998.
“Language Corpora and the Language Classroom.” Pasual
Perez-Paredes and Belen Diez Bedmar (2009).
http://www.slideshare.net/perezparedes/language-corpora-and-the-language-classroom
Longman Learners’ Corpus
Cambridge Learner Corpus http://www.cambridge.org/us/esl/catalog/subject/item2701617/cambridge-international-corpus/?site_locale=en_US
“Integrating Language Learning and Teaching with the
Construction of Computer Learner Corpora.” Duane Kindt and Mark Wright
http://nufs.academia.edu/DuaneKindt/Papers/852782/Integrating_language_learning_and_teaching_with_the_construction_of_computer_learner_corpora
“Collocation, Learner Corpus, Language Teaching.” Shei, C.
2000.
http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/homes/shei/collocation/top.html
