CORPUS FOR SCHOOLS: Teaching English Language with Corpus Linguistics
Teaching materials for BNClab
The aim of the project is to bring corpora and corpus methods into classrooms to teach students about the use of the English language. Corpora are large electronic collections of language samples that can be analysed automatically to identify regularities in language use. These patterns can be the result of sociolinguistic, psycholinguistic as well as historic processes in language and can be found in the language of social groups as well as individuals.
The project brings together corpus linguistics, applied linguistics, teachers and material writers to develop teaching materials and online platforms that incorporate corpus-based findings as well as direct access to corpora to teach about how English is used in real life situations. The materials were developed both for A-level English Language classes as well as for teaching English as a foreign/second language classes.
The work on the project has been made possible due to funding from the following sources: the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) (grant no. EP/P001559/1), Lancaster University Impact Fund, Lancaster University Faculty Research grant. The project has been supported by the following partners: Trinity College London, Cambridge University Press, English and Media Centre, AQA examination board.
The project team:
- Project leader: Dana Gablasova
- Teaching materials development: Dana Gablasova
- BNClab development: Vaclav Brezina, Dana Gablasova
- Contact: Dana Gablasova (d.gablasova@lancaster.ac.uk)
- Former collaborators: Susan Reichelt (2017-2018; data analysis, materials development), Cyan Cheung (2018; materials design); Geraint Harries (2018; software development), Loveen Dyall (2018-2019; software development)