Using a Corpus in an EFL Classroom to Develop Depth of Vocabulary Knowledge

Abstract

A corpus is a collection of written or spoken texts, which is stored on a computer. This paper examines whether or not a corpus can be used to develop depth of vocabulary knowledge in an EFL classroom. The advantages of using a corpus lie in its authenticity and use of abundant examples. This suggest that a corpus could be used in fruitful ways to broaden or deepen learners’ vocabulary. This paper focuses on the latter: developing depth of vocabulary knowledge. Data-driven learning (DLL) is one method of utilizing the corpus. First, this paper discusses the importance of developing depth of vocabulary knowledge. Then it investigates whether or not a corpus, especially DDL, can be used to attain this goal. Finally a pedagogical implication of utilizing DDL is suggested. This paper makes clear that DDL may make it possible for learners to learn through concordancing, which would contribute to developing depth of vocabulary knowledge, including aspects such as grammatical functions, collocations and semantic prosody in an EFL classroom. It can be said that DDL is a promising approach in language teaching and learning in that it can expose learners to authentic language and motivate them to learn the target language.