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The use of corpus examples for language comprehension and production

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 February 2014

Ana Frankenberg-Garcia
Ana Frankenberg-Garcia*
Affiliation:
University of Surrey, UK (email: [email protected])
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Abstract

One of the many new features of English language learners’ dictionaries derived from the technological developments that have taken place over recent decades is the presence of corpus-based examples to illustrate the use of words in context. However, empirical studies have generally not been able to produce conclusive evidence about their actual worth. In Frankenberg-Garcia (2012a), I argued that these studies – and indeed learners’ dictionaries themselves – do not distinguish sufficiently between examples meant to aid language comprehension and examples that focus on enhancing language production. The present study reports on an experiment with secondary school students carried out to test the usefulness of separate corpus examples for comprehension and production. The results support the need for different types of examples for comprehension and production, and provide evidence in support of data-driven learning, particularly if learners have access to more than one example.

Keywords

corporacorpus examplesdata-driven learningdictionaries
Type
Research Article
Information
ReCALL , Volume 26 , Issue 2: Researching uses of corpora for language teaching and learning , May 2014 , pp. 128 - 146
Copyright
Copyright © European Association for Computer Assisted Language Learning 2014 

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