Corpus Linguistics and Second Language Acquisition

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Corpus Linguistics and Second Language
Acquisition The use of ACORN in the teaching of
Spanish GrammarGuadalupe Ruiz Yepes
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Introduction

• Demands for authentic language use in the
  teaching of a second language
• Observing corpora has helped to reveal patterns
  of real language use
• ACORN project aims to provide corpus analyses in
  output formats suitable for teaching and learning
• Goals of using corpora in Grammar Clinics
• show students many more examples (than in grammar
  books)
• authentic examples
• corpora as self-access support while writing
  essays, preparing for exams

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Case study

• Beginners grammar clinics group (GC1)
• Corpus-based approach
• explain grammar topic create exercises involving
  corpus search for examples that match grammar
  statements
• Deductive method

• Advanced grammar clinics group (GC2)
• Corpus-driven approach
• lexical items (eg verbs, prepositions) are
  specified students analyse concordances
  themselves they find, list and explain the
  frequent grammar patterns
• Inductive method

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Corpus-based exercises in GC1 ser and estar

• SER
• In equational sentences of the sort AB, where A
  and B are nouns or pronouns.
• With adjectives or adjectival phrases referring
  to identity or nature.
• Followed by de noun to denote origin or the
  material something is made of.
• In impersonal statements.

• ESTAR
• To describe state as opposed to identity or
  nature.
• Followed by de adjective or noun to indicate
  mood, temporary employment or situation.
• To indicate location.

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Ser and estar Concordance lines from ACORN for
es (GC1)
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Ser and estar Concordance lines from ACORN for
está (GC1)
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Corpus-driven exercises with GC2 Concordance
lines from ACORN for the preposition para
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Corpus-driven exercises with GC2 Concordance
lines from ACORN for por
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por and para functions figured out by students
(GC2)

• PARA
• To indicate purpose, object or destination.
• Direction after verbs of motion.
• To translate for when it means considering.
• To translate by in time phrases.
• To translate the idea of for specifying a
  period of time in the future

• POR
• To denote because, because of and why?
• To translate by in passive constructions.
• To translate in support of.
• To indicate prices and amounts of money.
• To indicate periodicity in time phrases.

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Students exercises (GC2)
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Students exercises (GC2)
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Conclusions

• Change of attitude of the students towards corpus
  methodology
• Labs suitable for the teaching of grammar
• The Spanish corpus in ACORN needs improvement