Objective:
The objective of this lesson is to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of modern linguistics and corpus linguistics. The focus will be on the interconnected nature of these two concepts, emphasizing their practical applications in language research, specifically in the context of Legal English.
Duration:
The lesson is designed to be covered in one session, lasting approximately 90 minutes.
Materials:
- Slide presentation
- Handouts with key definitions and examples
- Reading materials on corpus linguistics and modern linguistics
Lesson Outline:
1. Introduction (15 minutes):
- Briefly introduce the importance of linguistics in language studies.
- Highlight the focus on modern linguistics and its connection to corpus linguistics.
- Emphasize the relevance of these concepts to technical English and Legal English.
2. Modern Linguistics (30 minutes):
- Define modern linguistics and its key domains.
- Explore the relationship between linguistics and other sciences like philosophy, psychology, and sociology.
- Break down language subsystems such as phonetics, phonology, morphosyntax, semantics, and pragmatics.
- Familiarize students with common linguistic concepts.
3. Corpus Linguistics (40 minutes):
- Define corpus linguistics and its methodologies.
- Discuss the historical development of corpus linguistics from the 1960s.
- Explore the role of corpus linguistics in systematic research on linguistic material.
- Highlight applications in language description, language learning, variation, and change.
- Introduce the concept of high-frequency words and their practical aspects.
4. Understanding a Corpus (20 minutes):
- Present two definitions of a corpus by Sinclair and Dash.
- Facilitate a discussion on the similarities and complementarity of these definitions.
- Discuss other accepted definitions and examples of corpora.
5. Types of Corpora (15 minutes):
- Introduce various types of corpora, including monolingual, multilingual, comparable, diachronic, and static.
- Provide examples of well-known corpora, emphasizing their volumes and purposes.
6. Tools and Techniques for Corpus Analysis (25 minutes):
- Discuss concordancing programs and computer-based methods for corpus analysis.
- Explore word frequency analysis and its role in creating pedagogical word lists.
- Emphasize the qualitative decision-making process in word list inclusion.
- Discuss the relevance of word frequency in understanding text difficulty.
7. Conclusion and Application (10 minutes):
- Summarize key concepts covered in the lesson.
- Discuss practical applications of corpus linguistics in language research and education.
- Encourage students to explore further readings and research in the field.
Assessment:
- Formative assessments through in-class discussions and reflections.
- A short quiz to evaluate understanding of key concepts.
- Assignment: Analyze a given text using corpus linguistics principles.
Lesson: Modern Linguistics and Corpus Linguistics
1. Introduction: This lesson introduces the foundational concepts of modern linguistics and corpus linguistics. Modern linguistics, intricately connected to corpus linguistics, provides a gateway to technical English and aids in understanding Legal English, the focus of the semester.
1.3 Modern Linguistics: This section delves into the key domains of modern linguistics and corpus linguistics. It covers linguistics as a science related to philosophy, psychology, and sociology. The lesson explores language subsystems such as phonetics, phonology, morphosyntax, semantics, and pragmatics, providing an overview of common linguistic concepts.
1.3 Corpus Linguistics: This part focuses on essential concepts related to scientific discourse, including the definition of corpus, corpus linguistics, methodologies, and its relationship with discourse analysis. The historical development of corpus linguistics from the 1960s is highlighted, emphasizing its role in systematic research on linguistic material, aiding in language description, and contributing to areas like language learning, variation, and change.
Read: The lesson emphasizes that corpus linguistics deals with sociolinguistics, linguistic situations, typologization of situations, and language production, constituting the corpus. High-frequency words lists are considered crucial for both meaning and context in reading and writing.
True/False Statements:
- Corpus linguistics groups other sciences - TRUE
- Learning and acquisition are two ways of knowing - FALSE
- A corpus has several purposes - TRUE
- Corpus linguistics deals with a unique discourse - TRUE
- High frequency words lists are not useful - FALSE
1.3.1 What a Corpus is: This section presents two definitions of a corpus by Sinclair and Dash. Both definitions align closely, complementing each other. The lesson acknowledges the diverse findings and accepted definitions in the research field, citing examples like Davies' corpora.
1.3.2 Tools and Techniques for Corpus Analysis: The lesson introduces the tools and techniques for corpus analysis, emphasizing the importance of representing language nuances. Concordancing programs and computer-based methods, including word frequency analysis, are discussed. The relevance of word frequency in creating pedagogical word lists is highlighted, considering factors like learnability, relevance to specific topics, and learners' first language.
READ (Identify Topic Words): The lesson provides a passage explaining why word frequency matters, linking it to the difficulty level, comprehension, and identification of keywords or topic words in a text or corpus.
- Word Lists: In this section, the focus shifts to the significance of word lists in ESP and ESAP programs, catering to learners' specific needs in particular subject areas. Discipline-specific wordlists are compared to general academic ones, emphasizing the former's efficacy in addressing learners' needs in specialized subjects.
This comprehensive lesson aims to equip students with a foundational understanding of modern linguistics and corpus linguistics, emphasizing practical applications in language research and education.
Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs) with Complex Answers
1. In the context of modern linguistics and corpus linguistics, which statement is accurate?
A. Traditional linguistics is extensively covered due to its ongoing relevance.
B. Modern linguistics is unrelated to corpus linguistics.
C. Modern linguistics is intertwined with corpus linguistics, facilitating entry into technical English.
D. Legal English is the sole focus of modern linguistics.
Answer: C (Modern linguistics is intertwined with corpus linguistics, facilitating entry into technical English.)
2. What is the primary focus of the section on Corpus Linguistics?
A. Exploring literature in various languages.
B. Describing and explaining the nature, structure, and uses of language.
C. Analyzing historical linguistic developments.
D. Investigating traditional linguistic concepts.
Answer: B (Describing and explaining the nature, structure, and uses of language.)
3. Regarding the definitions of a corpus by Sinclair and Dash, what can be inferred?
A. Their definitions are contradictory.
B. They provide similar definitions, complementing each other.
C. Dash's definition contradicts modern linguistic principles.
D. Sinclair's definition focuses solely on spoken language.
Answer: B (They provide similar definitions, complementing each other.)
4. Which statement accurately characterizes specialized corpora?
A. Specialized corpora lack criteria for text selection.
B. Specialized corpora cater to a wide range of linguistic domains.
C. Specialized corpora respond to specific criteria, focusing on subjects like law or technology.
D. Specialized corpora are primarily designed for general language research.
Q&A
1. Why is traditional linguistics not extensively covered in the lesson on modern linguistics and corpus linguistics?
Answer: Traditional linguistics is not extensively covered due to the numerous advances this science has witnessed, and the focus is on the interconnected concepts of modern linguistics and corpus linguistics.
2. According to the lesson, what is the ultimate aim of Corpus Linguistics, and how does it contribute to linguistic research?
Answer: The ultimate aim of Corpus Linguistics is to undertake systematic research on linguistic material, contributing to the description and explanation of the nature, structure, and uses of language. It aids in shedding light on areas like language learning, variation, and change.
3. Provide two definitions of a corpus from the lesson and explain their relationship.
Answer: The definitions come from Sinclair and Dash. Both definitions align closely, complementing each other. Practitioners could accept these definitions, generating a multitude of findings in the field of research.
4. In the section on tools and techniques for corpus analysis, what are the two methods mentioned, and how are they related to corpus design?
Answer: The two methods mentioned are 'concordancing' programs and computer-based ones. Both techniques use the sampling technique in corpus design, considering word frequency as a follow-up technique.
5. How does word frequency play a crucial role in creating pedagogical word lists, according to the lesson?
Answer: Word frequency is regarded as the most important factor in creating pedagogical word lists. It helps determine how often a word appears in a text, aiding in understanding the difficulty level of a text. This information is crucial for educators to tailor teaching materials for better comprehension.
6. Explain the significance of specialized corpora and provide an example mentioned in the lesson.
Answer: Specialized corpora respond to specific criteria, focusing on subjects like law or technology. An example mentioned in the lesson is the 'Corpus of Spontaneous Interviews' in French, which includes around 90 interviews.
7. What are the various types of corpora mentioned in the lesson, and how do they differ?
Answer: The lesson mentions monolingual, multilingual, comparable, diachronic, and static corpora. They differ based on the form of storage, language of texts, genres of texts included, accessibility, destination, and dynamics.
8. According to the passage, why does word frequency matter in corpus linguistics, and how is it used in classroom situations?
Answer: Word frequency matters as it reveals information about the vocabulary and content of a text or corpus. It helps determine the difficulty level of a text and identify keywords or topic words. In classrooms, word frequency counts are used to identify words for teaching, aiding in the creation of wordlists for pedagogical purposes.
9. Provide an example of a discipline-specific wordlist and explain its relevance in English for Specific Academic Purposes (ESAP) programs.
Answer: In ESAP programs, discipline-specific wordlists, such as those related to Mathematics, Physics, or Chemistry, serve learners with specific needs in subject areas. These wordlists are more effective in drawing attention to the most frequent and wide-ranging words in their specific academic disciplines.
10. How does the lesson describe the development of corpora and their initial use in linguistic research?
Answer: Corpora of texts were the initial linguistic material for investigations in corpus linguistics. The first electronically treated text corpora, known as the Brown Corpus, was created in 1963 at Brown University in the United States by Francis and Kucera. This marked the beginning of the development and use of corpora in linguistic research.
